Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Amidst ongoing controversy surrounding objectionable statement by former Goa RSS Chief Subhash Velingkar on St Francis Xavier, the goa government has maintained complete silence, even as the statement involves hurting religious sentiments.
The decennial exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier is scheduled to be held in Goa from November 21, 2024 to January 5, 2025.
“The time has arrived to examine Velingkar’s DNA. Hindus, Muslims, and Christians have all lived in harmony with one another for a long time in Goa, but individuals like him want to sabotage this long-standing peace within the community. The sensibilities of all the people who worship St Francis Xavier are hurt when such remarks are expressed. Alemao stated,
According to the police, no FIR has been filed as of yet.
The Goa Forward Party president, Vijai Sardesai, stated, “Unfortunate remarks have hurt the sentiments of Goemkars of all faiths.” Have the feelings of the government not been hurt? And what good would it do to refrain from defiling the air with such derogatory remarks about Goencho Saib, whom the Prime Minister referred to as
Aam Aadmi Party MLA Venzy Viegas remarked, “People like him [Velingkar] need to be rehabilitated outside the state. We vehemently disagree with such remarks. This is only being done to deflect attention from the state’s primary problem, which is land conversion.
Velingkar also reported “certain activist groups” to the Old Goa police station on Thursday, accusing them of disseminating “false narratives and attempting to disrupt communal harmony.”
“I have recently made a statement regarding the Goa Inquisition, an unfortunate chapter in Goa’s history that took place during the period of Portuguese rule,” Velingkar stated in the police complaint. While Saint Francis Xavier is credited by history with helping Christianity grow, it’s crucial to remember that the Goa Inquisition terrorized a large number of non-Christians.
“The push for a DNA test to verify the identity of the remains believed to be those of St Francis Xavier has gained momentum among the Buddhists in Sri Lanka and globally,” he added in the complaint.
