Kolkata, Dec 17: One more person has been arrested in connection with the vandalism during Lionel Messi’s event at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13, taking the number of those arrested to six, the Bidhannagar police said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed by the West Bengal government on Tuesday, began its probe into the matter.

According to police sources, the sixth arrest was made late on Tuesday night. The arrested person has been identified as Rupak Mandal. Police sources said that the accused will be produced before the Bidhannagar Sub-Divisional Court and charged with vandalism, creating disorder and disrupting law and order at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan.

The sources also said that several other individuals are suspected of being involved in the incident, and they may also be interrogated, if necessary. It has also been hinted that the number of arrests may increase in the coming days based on the progress of the investigation, and once the examination of CCTV and other video footages are completed.

The sources stressed that they are investigating how the situation spiralled out of control on the day of the incident, who directly participated in the vandalism, and who instigated the violence from behind the scenes. It was learnt that investigators are separately analysing the role of each arrested accused.

Noting the seriousness of the incident and the questions raised about security arrangements at Yuva Bharati, one of the state’s most prominent sports stadiums, the state government has formed the SIT, which will focus on how the disorder spread at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan, where the security lapses occurred, and whether there was any negligence on the part of the responsible agencies or officials.

According to administrative sources, the SIT members visited the Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Wednesday. They are inspecting the site, assessing the extent of the vandalism, and the amount of damage. After reviewing the situation, they will prepare a detailed report on the security arrangements on the day of the incident.

Meanwhile, following this incident, the administration is considering strengthening security measures for future large-scale events at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan. It includes ensuring adequate police surveillance, increased security checks at entry points and the use of modern technology to control crowds.

On December 13, the Salt Lake Stadium was full long before Messi’s event began, with spectators waiting to see their favourite footballer.

As soon as Messi arrived, many people surrounded him, trying to take pictures. As Messi’s security guards were also there, a chaotic situation prevailed overall, and spectators complained that they couldn’t even see him.

Messi left the field within just 22 minutes. After that, vandalism began. Chairs and bottles were thrown onto the field from the stands. Many spectators broke down the gates and entered the field.

Vandalism occurred in the galleries and restrooms of the Yuva Bharati Krirangan. Following this incident, the state government formed an investigation committee. Event organiser Satadru Dutta was arrested. On Tuesday, Aroop Biswas resigned as state Sports Minister while top IPS officers, including DGP Rajeev Kumar, were issued a show-cause notice.

New Delhi, Dec 17: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday refuted the remarks made by Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Operation Sindoor, asserting that the claims were entirely incorrect and misleading.

Athawale’s reaction came after Chavan alleged that India suffered a defeat on the first day of Operation Sindoor and that Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day military engagement. Responding to these assertions, the Union Minister said such statements were irresponsible and did not reflect the reality of the operation.

Speaking to Media, Ramdas Athawale said, “I firmly believe that whatever Prithviraj Chavan has said is completely false. He is a responsible leader who has served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and such remarks are not expected from someone of his stature. Operation Sindoor was a highly successful mission in which more than 100 terrorists were eliminated. Pakistan was gripped by fear after the operation. In such a situation, it is completely wrong to portray the operation as a defeat for India.”

He further added that misrepresenting a successful military operation only weakens national morale.

“We did not lose Operation Sindoor. On the contrary, it was a decisive action. The Congress party, however, lost the 2024 elections and also suffered defeats in states like Bihar and Maharashtra. Making such statements is not appropriate and only reflects political frustration. Issuing comments like these is very wrong,” Athawale said.

The Union Minister also responded to comments made by West Bengal Governor C.V. Anand Bose regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls in the state. Bose had stated that the SIR exercise has led to the identification and exit of illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators since its implementation.

Supporting the Governor’s remarks, Athawale said the SIR process was necessary to ensure electoral integrity.

“The Governor of West Bengal has clearly stated that no one has the right to vote illegally. Since the SIR process began, many illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have returned to Bangladesh. This is an important development. The SIR was required to clean the voter rolls and protect the voting rights of genuine citizens,” Athawale said.

He also pointed out that even the Congress has raised concerns about alleged ‘vote theft’ and wrongful deletion of names from electoral rolls.

“The Congress itself demands that there should be no vote theft and that names should not be arbitrarily removed. Therefore, the SIR process cannot be termed anti-any party. It is a neutral exercise aimed at cleaning the voter list and safeguarding democratic rights. In that sense, the SIR was necessary,” he added.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Governor Bose had stated that infiltration became more evident after the SIR process began and that there was a visible outflow of illegal migrants from West Bengal to Bangladesh.

“Infiltration is a reality, and the SIR process has brought this issue to the forefront. There is a noticeable movement of illegal migrants back across the border. This phenomenon has been studied extensively. As far as elections are concerned, the SIR will certainly bring change and cleanse the system to a large extent,” Bose told Media.

When asked about the impact of illegal immigrants on elections, the Governor noted that while the problem may not be entirely eliminated, it has significantly reduced. “After the SIR, the chances of illegal infiltrators influencing elections have decreased. I am not saying the issue is completely resolved, but it has certainly lessened,” he said.

The SIR exercise in West Bengal began on December 4 and concluded on December 11. The process witnessed the departure of a significant number of illegal Bangladeshi nationals and also triggered protests by booth-level officers (BLOs), who cited work pressure and tight deadlines.

Following the completion of the exercise, the Election Commission of India released the draft electoral rolls for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. As a result of the SIR process, over 58 lakh voter names have been identified for removal.

The publication of the draft voter list marks the conclusion of the enumeration phase and the start of a more rigorous stage involving claims, objections, and hearings. The second phase of the three-stage SIR exercise will continue until February 2026, with the final voter list scheduled to be published on February 14, 2026, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections have been called but the political parties have not yet reached an electoral agreement. The Maha Vikas Aghadi and Mahayoti have started holding meetings regarding the electoral agreement, but despite this, no conclusion has been reached by all the parties, due to which the electoral agreement of the political parties in the BMC elections is still pending. The Uddhav Thackeray government fell in the Maharashtra Assembly in 2022 and now Uddhav Thackeray’s power has decreased and only 20 MLAs of Uddhav Thackeray have won, while Shinde Sena and BJP have maintained their power. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections have been announced and on January 15, the people will exercise their democratic right and the votes will be counted on the 16th and an announcement will be made on the same day. A round of meetings is underway between Shinde Sena and BJP regarding the electoral understanding and seat sharing, but so far they have not reached any conclusion. An understanding has not been reached between BJP and Shinde Sena regarding the Mahim, Parel, Dadar Byculla, and Kalabha areas because these areas contain a Marathi population along with Uttar Bharatiya. Both parties have claimed these areas. Due to organizational issues, Shinde Sena has claimed these areas and has said that due to organizational stability, these areas should be given to Shiv Sena. BJP voters have increased in the last election. BJP’s strength has increased here due to businessmen and Hindutva voters. Therefore, now the possibility of an electoral alliance at the local level is clear, while the alliance is still pending in Maha Vikas Aghadi because due to the alliance between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, Congress and NCP have not yet taken any decision on the electoral alliance. In such a situation, if there is no electoral alliance in Maha Vikas Aghadi and Mahayoti in BMC, then this contest will be more interesting because in this election, two Shiv Sena, two NCP and other parties will try their luck and the number of candidates entering the electoral fray will also increase.