I am so so sorry that you'd to hear and read such bullshits. Urgh! Western media and their ignorance and lack of sensitivity and reluctance to research before barking off their mouths will never not be my problem. They have done it quite a few times with my country and it's customs.
I was thinking it's an incredible act of honoring Messi when the Bisht was put on him , in our culture also extremely similar customs are there , we call it " Uttoriyo" and it is given and wrapped around a person to felicitate / honor / award ceremonies as a gesture of basically showering the person with respect and adoration.