Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Uruguayan footballer Luis Suarez, Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, ICC Chairman Jay Shah and Argentine footballer Rodrigo De Paul during an event as part of the 'GOAT India Tour 2025', at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi
Credit: PTI Photo
In an incident that caused major embarrassment to the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi administration, a section of the crowd jeered with chants of 'AQI, AQI' as the chief minister reached the podium near Argentina football icon Lionel Messi in the national capital.
The Argentine legend attended an event at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday between 1 pm and 4 pm. He kicked off the tour in Kolkata, which turned chaotic. However, the 2022 World Cup champion's Hyderabad and Mumbai visit went on smoothly.
Coming to the viral video, spectators were heard shouting “AQI” as the chief minister walked into the stadium. Delhi’s worsening air pollution levels has been a constant source of worry for the government and the matter is also listed and being heard in Supreme Court frequently.
Speaking briefly in Spanish, a language not spoken by most in the city, Messi said, “Gracias Delhi! Hasta pronto”, creating a sense of yearning among the crowds rarely seen before.
Upon arrival, Messi took a lap of the ground smiling, and watched the 7x7 celebrity match coming to an end, even as the spectators, many of whom were dressed in the famous blue and white Argentine jersey bearing No. 10, chanted his name continuously.
In related development, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav chaired a high-level review of the action plans of Ghaziabad and Noida to curb air pollution, directing strict action against industrial units that fail to install online emission monitoring systems by the December 31 deadline.