Panaji, Apr 20 (PTI) Goa’s communal harmony cannot be compromised by outsiders, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant asserted on Monday amid the row triggered by right-wing activist Gautam Khattar’s remarks against St Francis Xavier, the state’s patron saint.
A controversy erupted after a video of Khattar, the founder of Sanatan Mahasangh, addressing an event on Saturday evening in the presence of Swami Brahmeshanand, state Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and BJP MLAs Sankulp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar, went viral.
Goa Police have registered an FIR against Khattar for “hurting religious sentiments” with his alleged objectionable remarks against St Francis Xavier, whose relics are preserved at the Basilica of Bom Jesus Church, Old Goa.
Speaking to reporters, Sawant said that the speakers who come to Goa to address programmes should not disturb the state’s communal harmony.
Organisers of such events should guide speakers properly, he said, while admitting that Minister Mauvin Godinho, who was present at the event, should have intervened to stop Khattar’s derogatory remarks.
“But sometimes you cannot react on the spur of the moment,” he said on Godinho’s inaction.
The chief minister said that an FIR has already been registered against Khattar and police are investigating the case.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded Khattar’s arrest and accused the ruling BJP of attempting to divert attention from ongoing protests against the state government.
An AAP delegation led by the party’s state unit president, Valmiki Naik, met South Goa Superintendent of Police Santosh Desai in Margao to seek a status update on a complaint it had lodged against Khattar and to urge swift action in the case.
Goa has always been a land of diverse religions and castes, where people identify as Goans first, Naik told reporters in Margao.
“The BJP’s silence and inaction show that they are endorsing Khattar’s statement. This is an attempt to disturb communal harmony because they know they are losing ground ahead of the 2027 elections,” he said.
Senior AAP leader Sandesh Teleikar Dessai demanded Godinho’s resignation and sought a public apology from BJP MLAs Krishna Salkar and Sankalp Amonkar for allowing the incident to take place. PTI RPS ARU
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