BJP stoking communal tensions in Goa, says Rahul amid protests

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the BJP of deliberately stoking communal tensions in Goa. He added that the BJP’s attempts would not go unchallenged as the people of the state and the whole of India could see through its “divisive agenda” and remained united.

In a post on X, Rahul said, “Goa’s appeal lies in its natural beauty and the warmth and hospitality of its diverse and harmonious people.”

“Unfortunately, under the BJP’s rule, this harmony is under attack as the BJP is deliberately stoking communal tensions, with a former RSS leader provoking Christians and Sangh organisations calling for an economic boycott of Muslims. In Goa, the BJP’s strategy is clear: Divide people, while exploiting ecologically sensitive areas by illegally converting green land and bypassing environmental regulations,” Rahul said.

Meanwhile, locals and political leaders staged a protest in Old Goa on Sunday against Subhash Velingkar, former chief of RSS’s state unit, for his comment about St Francis Xavier, Goa’s patron saint.

The protesters also presented a memorandum at the local police station, demanding that Velingkar be externed till the decennial exposition of St Francis Xavier is complete. The exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier will be held between November 2024 and January 2025.

Earlier, the Bicholim police registered a case against Velingkar on Friday for hurting religious sentiments with his comments on the patron saint, whose relics are preserved at the Basilica of Bom Jesus at Old Goa. The police had also cane-charged a group of protesters and detained five of them in Margao city of South Goa late on Saturday night after they blocked a national highway.

AAP’s state unit president Amit Palekar said, “The state government should be more responsible while handling such issues. Why none of the BJP MLAs were standing with the protesters?” TMC Goa co-convenor Samil Volvoikar said people of all faiths revered St Francis Xavier, and statements like the ones made by Velingkarcreated unnecessary problems in the state.

Meanwhile, the Goa church authorities have called for peace and restraint in the coastal state. The Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) executive secretary Savio Fernandes said the Goan Catholic Community condemns Velingkar’s “insulting and derogatory” statements. However, Fernandes added that there were several issues threatening the environment, demography and future of Goa, which demand the immediate attention of the authorities. “We appeal to the citizens not to distract their attention from the major issues plaguing our state,” he added.

The Additional District and Sessions Court in Panaji refused to grant Velingkar anticipatory bail, while posting the matter on Monday.