MARGAO/VASCO/SANGUEM: Goa is on the boil. A groundswell of public outrage over alleged derogatory remarks made by Gautam Khattar against St Francis Xavier — one of the most venerated saints in the State — has snowballed into a mass movement that is now putting the government on notice. Protesters have issued a stark ultimatum: act by 5 pm on April 24, or Goa will be paralysed.
The demands are clear and uncompromising — the immediate arrest of Gautam Khattar and the removal of Minister Mauvin Godinho from the Cabinet.
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What began as outrage over comments allegedly made at a Parshuram Jayanti event organised by the Sanatan Dharma Raksha Samiti at Tilak Maidan in Vasco on April 18 has rapidly escalated into a coordinated, statewide mobilisation. From Lohia Maidan in South Goa to the Sanguem Police Station and the streets of Vasco, citizens have taken to the roads in a show of collective anger — and resolve.
At Lohia Maidan, hundreds gathered in a display of unity before marching to the South Goa Police Headquarters, carrying placards centred on faith, respect, and justice. The protest, organised by social activist Adv Pratima Coutinho along with Warren Alemao, Anthony Silva, Meshu D’Costa, and other concerned citizens, drew participation from across the state.
Participants carried placards highlighting themes of faith, respect, unity, and justice, while maintaining a disciplined and calm atmosphere throughout the demonstration.
Several prominent personalities, including Fr Erimito Rebello, Vijai Sardesai, Jose Filipe D’Souza, and Micky Pacheco, along with social activists such as Rama Kankonkar, nuns, and citizens from across South Goa, joined the protest.
The programme began with a prayer led by Fr Rebello, who emphasised the need for peace while also calling for justice and strict action against those responsible for the remarks.
Slogans of “One Goa, One People” and “Together for Justice, Together for Goa” rang out, even as organisers stressed that the agitation was not directed at any community but aimed at preserving social harmony. Yet, the underlying anger was evident in the ultimatum that followed.
The pressure is not isolated. In Sanguem, residents gathered at the police station demanding Khattar’s arrest and insisting that he issue a public apology at Old Goa church, with some even calling for his entry to be banned in the state. In Nuvem, local panchayat members condemned the remarks, warning that they had hurt religious sentiments and urging swift action to prevent communal strain.
In Vasco, the tone turned sharper. Hundreds marched from Tilak Maidan to the police station, openly questioning what they described as delayed and selective police action. The arrest of Madhav Khattar, brother of the main accused, was dismissed as a “mere eyewash” and “an attempt to divert attention from the main accused.”
“We don’t want partial action; we want concrete action in this case,” protesters asserted, demanding that organisers linked to the April 18 event also be taken into custody if Khattar is not immediately apprehended.
Despite assurances from the police that a team has been dispatched to Dehradun and that the Crime Branch has taken over the investigation, the response has done little to calm tempers. Instead, it appears to have intensified public scepticism.
Across protest sites, a common thread is emerging — a growing perception that the state machinery is either unwilling or too slow to act decisively, even as public sentiment hardens.
Speakers at multiple gatherings warned that Goa’s long-standing identity as a space of communal harmony is being tested. The call now is not just for arrests, but for accountability at every level — including political.
