India, June 1 -- Authorities in West Bengal on Monday brought down and took away a 70-foot statue of football legend Lionel Messi in Kolkata's Lake Town neighborhood.

The intervention by the Public Works Department (PWD) followed a wave of complaints reportedly from local residents that the massive iron-and-fiberglass structure was swaying during recent spells of high wind. This, officials said, created a public safety hazard ahead of the upcoming monsoon season.

Heavy-duty hydraulic cranes and engineering teams swarmed the VIP Road stretch early Monday morning to secure and deconstruct the towering installation, which stood atop an underground pedestrian crossing.

The removal carries political undertones, occurring just weeks after a ...