A 70-foot statue of Lionel Messi was taken down from a Kolkata intersection on June 1 as the new BJP government removed symbols linked to the previous Trinamool Congress regime.
The fibreglass-and-iron statue had stood on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass since December 2025. It was installed during Messi’s “GOAT India Tour” and had become a city landmark near a major Durga Puja site.
Removal took place amid 60 to 80 kmph winds during a storm. Cranes lifted the structure and trucks carried it away to an undisclosed location decided by the State Public Works Department.
A separate football-themed sculpture outside Salt Lake Stadium, conceived by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was dismantled on May 23. West Bengal Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik called it “ugly-looking” and said it had no aesthetic value.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on June 7 plans for a 125-foot statue of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The government will also observe June 20 as Paschim Banga Dibas.
