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A 21-meter (about 69 feet) statue of Argentina’s Lionel Messi — often described as football’s “god” — erected in Kolkata, India, was dismantled over safety concerns.
AFP reported on June 1 that officials took down the statue in West Bengal after residents and witnesses said they had seen it sway in strong winds.
The statue had been installed in December to coincide with Messi’s tour of India.
Safety issues emerged in recent days.
A West Bengal legislator told AFP that residents complained last week the statue had been swaying in the wind, prompting authorities to order its removal. Officials say the statue will be kept in a government warehouse until a new site is selected.
The statue drew renewed attention after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scored a victory over the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in last month’s West Bengal assembly election — a region long regarded as a TMC stronghold.
Local reporting indicates the statue was commissioned under the patronage of Mamata Banerjee, the former West Bengal chief minister and current TMC leader.
The newly appointed BJP sports minister criticized the statue as “an eyesore.”
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