PANAJI
A Congress delegation led by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on Monday met the Director General of Police, demanding the immediate arrest of YouTuber and spiritual thinker Gautam Khattar and a complete ban on his entry into Goa following the Vasco hate speech controversy.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Alemao said the delegation submitted a formal complaint along with video evidence, urging the police to take swift and stringent action. “The inflammatory speech has created tension across the State. We have demanded his immediate arrest and a permanent ban on his entry into Goa,” he said.
Alemao further said that merely registering an FIR was not sufficient. “The Chief Minister must act decisively. We demand that Gautam Khattar be arrested immediately,” Alemao said.
The delegation urged the police to ensure strict action to prevent any further disturbance to communal harmony in the State. “Such people, who ought to destroy the peace of the State, must be banned completely from entering,” he said.
The Congress strongly condemned the incident, alleging it was an attempt to incite communal division. Alemao also questioned the response of BJP leaders present at the event, while seeking action against Minister Mauvin Godinho for defending Khattar’s alleged hate speech against St Francis Xavier.
“Why was Minister Mauvin Godinho silent for 24 hours after the incident? Why did he defend Khattar’s speech? FIR needs to be filed against him and he should be immediately sacked from the cabinet,” he demanded.
Alemao claimed that the issue came to light only after the Congress Cortalim Block President filed an official complaint with supporting video evidence. Alleging a larger conspiracy, Alemao said the incident appeared to be a “calculated attempt” to provoke communal tensions and divert attention from the ongoing Rule 39A protests.
