Overview
- Local engineers inspected the 21-meter gold statue after resident complaints and a regional legislator said it was judged structurally unsafe because it sways in wind.
- The monument was temporarily restrained with ropes while authorities search for alternative locations and prepare a removal plan that must avoid the adjacent busy road and Kolkata metro.
- The statue was erected in December in roughly 27 days by a 45-person team and was virtually unveiled by Lionel Messi, linking the work to his recent India tour.
- Officials say the statue’s proximity to traffic and subway infrastructure increases public-safety risks and will complicate lifting equipment, traffic management, and crowd control during removal.
- The immediate outcome is a secured but still-standing monument and a planned removal effort driven by local complaints and official inspections, with officials expected to announce next steps as they identify safe relocation options.