A massive protest was seen at Vasco Police Station against one Gautam Khattar after he made derogatory remarks against St Francis Xavier at a function in Vasco. St Francis is a saint of the world who is revered by people of all faiths. Such derogatory remarks are unacceptable. Strict action should be taken against the culprit for trying to disrupt communal harmony. This will act as a deterrence to such incidents in the future. This is not the first time that such an incident has taken place. Though an apology has been issued by the organizers, this will not suffice. The person who uttered the statements should be arrested as per the demands of the protesters. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reportedly stated in October 2023 that the government will not tolerate acts or comments that hurt religious sentiments or provoke hatred, aiming to maintain communal harmony in the state. Such acts of sowing seeds of communal disharmony need to be nipped in the bud. Those coming from other states to spread communal discord should be acted upon as per law.
