Goa Police registered an FIR against Gautam Khattar, founder of Sanatan Mahasangh and a YouTuber from Uttarakhand, for allegedly making derogatory remarks against St Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Goa, following a public event in Vasco da Gama on Saturday evening.
Khattar, who describes himself as a “spiritual beat” journalist and produces content centred on religious figures and pilgrimage sites, allegedly called the 16thcentury Jesuit missionary a “terrorist” at a Parshuram Jayanti celebration organised by Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti in Mormugao. He also allegedly made derogatory remarks about the saint’s sacred relics. A video of the speech went viral, triggering widespread condemnation across political and community lines.
The event was attended by State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, BJP MLAs Sankulp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar, and Swami Brahmeshanand.
Superintendent of Police (South) Santosh Desai confirmed to PTI on Sunday night that Khattar had been booked for hurting religious sentiments under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. “The future action would be initiated as per the law,” he said. Police confirmed they had received multiple complaints.
The first complaint was lodged by Cortalim block Congress committee president Peter D’Souza at Vasco police station. The Aam Aadmi Party and the Revolutionary Goans Party also separately filed complaints with the Director General of Police.
The event organisers moved quickly to distance themselves from Khattar’s remarks. Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti issued a public apology to the Christian community. “It is an unfortunate incident and we condemn the remarks made by the speaker. We are tendering an apology to all our Christian brothers with whom we have been living like brothers. We never expected Khattar to make such a statement, and we immediately stopped him,” the group said in a video statement.
Political parties across the spectrum demanded Khattar’s arrest. Congress MLA Altone D’Costa called the speech “a clear attempt to spread communal disharmony in Goa” and urged police to act before Khattar left the state. “Goencho Saib is a revered saint worshipped by people from all religions. Khattar should be arrested before he leaves Goa,” he said. Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao described the remarks as “malicious and deeply offensive” and pressed the Chief Minister to ensure swift action, while Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai warned that such rhetoric “only spreads hatred and divides society.”
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar demanded accountability for all those present at the event, including the organisers and the political leaders who attended. “Such insensitive statements deeply hurt the sentiments of Goemkars and pose a serious threat to Goa’s long standing communal harmony,” he said.
The AAP appealed to residents to remain calm. “There will be many such attempts to divide us and destroy our age-old communal harmony which is known the world over,” the party said, adding that Khattar had hurt the sentiments of people of every faith who venerate the saint.
The incident is part of a broader documented trend. According to India Hate Lab, a project of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, hate speech targeting Christians across India rose by nearly 41 per cent in 2025 over the previous year. Right-wing groups disrupted church services and Christmas celebrations across Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh during the same period.
St Francis Xavier arrived in Goa in 1542, sent by King John III of Portugal to minister to settlers in what was then a Portuguese colony. A Spanish Jesuit and one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus, he became known to Goans as “Goencho Saib,” or Lord of Goa, a figure of devotion that cuts across religious boundaries. His mortal remains, regarded as incorruptible, have been housed at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa since 1624 and draw pilgrims and visitors from across India and abroad.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
