PANAJI
A day after former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar made a communally potent statement questioning the reference to 16th century Catholic saint Francis Xavier as 'Goencho Saib' Goa's Opposition Leader Michael Lobo termed it an act aimed at disturbing the peace and demanded stern action from the government.
Lobo said he urges the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to act strongly against those trying to disturb the peace and communal harmony in Goa.
"Goencho Saib St Francis Xavier is revered not only by Catholics but by people of all faiths within the State and elsewhere," Lobo said, adding that no amount of 'awareness campaigns' can disturb Goa's unity, peace and communal harmony.
Velingkar had on Thursday caused a stir by arguing that the sixteenth century saint whose relics lie at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa and is revered in the State cannot be called 'Goencho Saib' and that the real Goencho Saib was Lord Parshuram.
Velingkar, who headed the RSS in Goa for several years before he was expelled following differences with former chief minister the late Manohar Parrikar in 2016, has formed a new organisation Hindu Raksha Maha Aaghadi about a year ago and announced on Thursday that a campaign will be launched from May 3 to create awareness among people that Lord Parshuram is the real 'Goencho Saib' and not St Francis Xavier.
Seen as an attempt to gain relevance, Velingkar's comments triggered strong reactions from a cross-section of politicians and also Goans at large who took to social media to air their views.
PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral when asked to comment said, that Velingkar had nothing to do with the government or the ruling BJP and that whatever he has said should not be given any importance.
"Goencho Saib is a title given to the saint by that particular community and he (Velingkar) has no locus to either comment or object," Cabral said, adding that people should not be bothered or get disturbed by it.
Among others who reacted was former minister Churchill Alemao who slammed Velingkar for stirring up a non-existent controversy over St Francis Xavier and added that the saint has and will always be revered by Goans.
Another former minister Francisco (Miccky) Pacheco went a step ahead and filed a formal police complaint against Velingkar accusing him of attempting to disturb the communal harmony in Goa. Pacheco lodged the complaint at the Colva police station.
Both Alemao and Pacheco had contested the recently held assembly elections and were defeated.
