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Kolkata's 70-Foot Messi Statue Sway In High Winds On VIP Road, Locals Fear Collapse

Sneha May 25, 2026 11:11 PM

The strong winds on Monday caused the 70-foot-tall statue of footballer Lionel Messi near the Lake Town Clock Tower crossing on VIP Road to sway, triggering concern among local residents over possible accident. According to local residents, the structure appeared unstable amid gusty weather conditions, prompting worries that it could collapse and pose a threat to commuters and pedestrians passing through the busy stretch.

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Lake Town, West Bengal: A statue of Lionel Messi located near Lake Town Clock Tower crossing on VIP Road is reportedly swaying in strong winds. Locals fear it may fall and cause a safety hazard. A complaint has been filed at the Lake Town Police Station, and there are calls for… pic.twitter.com/8wQco78E5M
— IANS (@ians_india) May 25, 2026

Complaint Filed At Police Station

Following the incident, a complaint was lodged at the Lake Town Police Station seeking immediate intervention to prevent any untoward incident.

Locals have urged authorities to either reinforce the structure or relocate the statue to a safer location before it turns into a public safety hazard.

Statue Installed In 2025, Sparked Criticism

The 70-foot statue of Lionel Messi on Kolkata’s VIP Road was virtually unveiled by the football icon on December 13, 2025. The structure features an eight-foot replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy, taller than Messi himself.

The installation soon sparked criticism, particularly on social media, with many users questioning the statue’s resemblance to the Argentine star. The project was conceptualised by former MLA Sujit Bose, who is currently in Enforcement Directorate custody in connection with an alleged municipal recruitment scam, and sculpted by renowned Kumartuli artist Monti Paul.

Earlier this year, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul sought a report from the West Bengal government on whether the statues of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona in Lake Town were erected on government land in violation of existing norms.

Biswa Bangla Football Statue Demolished

A controversial sculpture outside the VVIP gate of Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, officially known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, was demolished on Saturday following directions from the West Bengal government, officials said.

State Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik had earlier announced that the structure, often criticised by football fans as bizarre and lacking meaning, would be removed from the stadium premises.

The sculpture, installed during the stadium’s 2017 renovation, featured a pair of legs up to the waist topped with the ‘Biswa Bangla’ logo, while the word ‘Joyee’ was inscribed on a football placed near the feet. The design was reportedly conceptualised during the tenure of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Minister Calls Sculpture ‘Ugly’

Calling the structure “ugly” and “meaningless,” West Bengal Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik said the sculpture outside Salt Lake Stadium lacked both symbolism and aesthetic appeal.

“Such an ugly-looking statue, two legs cut at the torso with a football above it, does not make any sense. It does not look aesthetically pleasing either, so we will not keep such a grotesque structure that has no meaning,” Pramanik told reporters.