Goa patron saint remarks row: Protests staged, Cong seeks sacking of minister for not intervening

PANAJI: (Apr 20) The controversy over alleged objectionable remarks made by right-wing activist Gautam Khattar against Goa’s patron saint St Francis Xavier intensified on Monday, with the staging of protests at multiple places and lodging of a string of complaints at police stations.

The Congress demanded the sacking of Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho for “supporting” Khattar, when he delivered the controversial speech on Saturday, and registration of an FIR against him.

A row erupted after a video of Khattar, the founder of Sanatan Mahasangh, addressing an event on Saturday evening in the presence of Swami Brahmeshanand, Godinho and BJP MLAs Sankulp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar, went viral.