Manoj Tiwary Blames TMC, Aroop Biswas for Lionel Messi Event Chaos

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-05-07

Former India cricketer and outgoing Trinamool Congress MLA Manoj Tiwary has broken his silence with a series of sharp allegations against the Mamata Banerjee-led government. In a Facebook Live video and a PTI interview, Tiwary accused TMC leader and former sports minister Aroop Biswas of blocking his work at every turn — and directly blamed him for the embarrassing chaos surrounding Lionel Messi's brief and troubled visit to Kolkata. Tiwary's remarks came in the wake of BJP's Assembly poll sweep in West Bengal, and he did not hold back. ### Tiwary's Ministerial Role: "Tea and Biscuits" Tiwary, who served as Minister of State for Sports, said the department had "no work other than having tea and biscuits" and that he was "never allowed to undertake any actual work." He alleged that his role was essentially decorative. Tiwary said he was "repeatedly and forcefully" drawn into politics in 2019 to give the party a "political edge" but was sidelined later, and described his portfolio as a "lollipop." Tiwary said Aroop Biswas was insecure of him and made sure he could not work. "They just wanted to use me and ensure I could not work," he said. Among his specific frustrations, Tiwary pointed to a proposal he had personally facilitated. He had made plans through his connections for world-famous sprinter Yohan Blake to build a Centre of Excellence in West Bengal, but Aroop Biswas rejected the proposal despite only Rs 5 crore (approximately $600,000) being needed. Tiwary also claimed that a world-class track and field event he proposed was stalled despite a Rs 5-crore ($600,000) allocation, and questioned where the state's Rs 700-crore ($84 million) sports budget had gone.  ### Messi's Five-Minute Exit: Tiwary Points the Finger at Biswas The Lionel Messi event in Kolkata remains one of the most talked-about sports administration failures in recent West Bengal history. The football icon departed Yuva Bharati Krirangan within minutes following a security threat, leaving thousands of fans disappointed. Tiwary now says he saw it coming. He skipped the state event, claiming he had a "premonition" of humiliation. "Messi left the event within 5-10 minutes just because of Aroop Biswas," Tiwary said, adding that all sports lovers in the state were embarrassed by what happened. Tiwary alleged that football enthusiasts were denied even a glimpse of Messi, and that the sole purpose of the event was for certain individuals to have their photographs taken. He also revealed he was not even invited to the event. "I wasn't invited to any events. I was even on the field during the Durand Cup, but I wasn't invited because Aroop Biswas couldn't tolerate my image," he said.  ### Mamata Banerjee "Didn't Give Me 20 Seconds" Tiwary also described a particularly stinging encounter with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when he tried to raise concerns about sports development and the situation in his constituency of Shibpur. After a cabinet meeting, when Tiwary raised the issue with Banerjee, she told him, "Don't I have anything else to do?" and did not give him even 20 seconds to explain what he wanted to say. Tiwary alleged that despite his repeated efforts to address the exodus of athletes to other states due to "incompatible policies," he was met with "cold indifference," and that Banerjee consistently refused to grant him an audience, instead directing him to speak with Aroop Biswas. Tiwary congratulated the BJP on forming the new government, hinting at his own future political moves.