Manoj Tiwary vs TMC: Former West Bengal Minister of State for Youth Services and Sports, and ex-India cricketer, Manoj Tiwary has levelled serious allegations about his tenure in the state government, claiming that he was sidelined and prevented from carrying out his responsibilities effectively. In a video uploaded on his Facebook page, Tiwary accused senior TMC leader Arup Biswas of obstructing his work and limiting his role within the sports department over the past five years. He said that despite his background in sports, he was not allowed to contribute meaningfully during his time in office.
“In this video, I want to explain how my work has been hindered over the past five years. I want to share this. Arup Biswas prevented me from working. I come from the sports world and wanted to do a lot for sports. In the sports department, I had nothing to do except eat tea and biscuits. I wasn't invited to any events.”
#WATCH | Former West Bengal Sports Minister Manoj Tiwary says, "In this video, I want to explain how my work has been hindered over the past five years. I want to share this. Arup Biswas (TMC leader and former minister) prevented me from working. I come from the sports world and… pic.twitter.com/isM4CMyRe1
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2026
Manoj Tiwary further claimed that he was deliberately excluded from official functions and key sporting occasions. He also referred to the high-profile visit of Lionel Messi, stating that he chose not to attend due to repeated humiliation.
“I was even on the field during the Durand Cup, but I wasn't invited because Arup Biswas couldn't tolerate my image.”
“I wasn't present at Messi's event because of the repeated insults. I felt something serious was about to happen. You must have seen that all the sports lovers in the state were embarrassed by Arup Biswas. Messi left the event within 5-10 minutes, just because of Arup Biswas.”
Beyond departmental issues, Tiwary criticised the functioning of the government led by Mamata Banerjee, alleging a lack of responsiveness at the highest level.
“There was a lot to be done for Shivpur, which I tried to explain repeatedly, even raising my voice in cabinet meetings. One day, when I raised this issue with the Chief Minister, she said to my face, "Don't I have anything else to do?" She didn't even give me 20 seconds to explain what I wanted to say.”
He concluded with broader criticism of the administration’s approach. “This government was based on false promises. I realised that very day that this government wouldn't last long.”
The former India batsman added that despite the challenges, he remains optimistic about the future. “You can imagine what I've faced in the Sports Department over the past five years... I want to say that whatever God does, he does for good. This narrow-minded government was removed. They worked for themselves, not for the public.”
The West Bengal Assembly election results, declared on May 4, 2026, delivered a sweeping mandate for the BJP, which secured 207 of the 294 seats. The outcome brought an end to Mamata Banerjee’s long tenure as chief minister, with her party managing just 80 seats.
