Cranes deployed as work begins to remove 70-ft Messi statue in Kolkata

The statue, installed atop an underground pedestrian crossing, was unveiled by Lionel Messi himself in December last year, using a remote-controlled mechanism.

In Short

• Two hydraulic cranes have been deployed to remove the statue
• The installation was unveiled by Lionel Messi himself in December
• Last week, locals claimed the statue was swaying in strong winds

The process to remove the towering statue of Argentine football icon Lionel Messi in Kolkata's Lake Town area began on Monday, after the structure's integrity was deemed unsafe by engineers.

Two hydraulic cranes arrived at the site, as engineers and workers swarmed the place. The 70-foot statue, installed atop an underground pedestrian crossing, was unveiled by Messi himself during his visit to Kolkata in December last year, using a remote-controlled mechanism.

The structural issue with the statue first came to light last week, on May 25, when locals lodged a police complaint claiming that it was swaying in strong winds.

The police subsequently informed the local Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) about the situation. A team of engineers was then dispatched to inspect the statue.

Upon inspecting it, the engineers concluded that the installation was indeed swaying. The apparent observation prompted them to deem it unsafe.

The statue was later inspected by several other engineers. As a precautionary measure, the structure was even secured with ropes to prevent it from toppling over.

The unveiling of the statue by Messi was projected as a symbolic tribute to the deep-rooted football culture in West Bengal.

However, the installation soon found itself at the centre of legal and public scrutiny. In fact, questions were raised in court as to whether the statue stood on government land and if all the required clearances were obtained.

The project had been associated with ex-Bengal minister Sujit Bose, who had played a key role in ensuring the statue came up in that area.

The statue also became a buzzing topic of conversation for a certain section of Indian social media that argued that the installation's facial features bore little resemblance to Messi. Furthermore, some users jokingly suggested that it looked similar to a Bollywood actor.

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(With inputs from PTI)