Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira and social activist Roshan Mathias on Monday filed a complaint at the Vasco police station against Gautam Khattar, founder of Sanathan Mahasangh, over alleged derogatory statements made against St Francis Xavier.
According to the complaint, the remarks were made on April 18 at a public function held at Tilak Maidan, Vasco, in the presence of Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho, MLAs Krishna (Daji) Salkar and Sankalp Amonkar, along with a large gathering.
The complainants stated that Khattar’s words were “deliberately uttered” with “malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of Catholics and the Goans,” and that the statements insulted the Catholic religion and the beliefs of those who revere St Francis Xavier in Goa, across India, and abroad.
The complaint further reproduced the alleged statements made during the speech, including:
“सबसे पहले तो उसको जहाँ भी है, तो मिल जाए तो उसको चार जूते तो हम मारे मिल करके। किसने पैदा किया यह।”
“झूठ को कंठ करना पड़ेगा। झूठ का प्रतिकार करना पड़ेगा… हम नहीं रोकेंगे।”
“जिसने केवल पूरे जीवन सनातनियों को धर्मांतरित करने में लगाया…”
“नहीं नहीं, ऐसे मत कहिए… हमारे मंत्री जी भी हैं, उनको भी प्रणाम है…”
Ferreira and Mathias stated that the remarks promote “disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious groups or communities,” and therefore attract provisions under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
They further argued that the statements are prejudicial to maintaining harmony between communities and are punishable under Section 196 BNS Act, while also invoking Section 302 BNS Act for deliberate intent to wound religious sentiments. The complaint also referenced a Supreme Court order dated April 28, 2023, in Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay vs Union of India, which directs authorities to take suo motu action in cases involving hate speech and similar offences, even in the absence of a formal complaint.
“It is therefore evident that even without a complaint, the FIR ought to have been registered suo motu,” the complainants stated.
They added that a large number of Catholics as well as non-Catholics in Goa have been “offended and hurt and felt insulted” by Khattar’s remarks.
The complainants have called upon the police to immediately register an FIR against Gautam Khattar under Sections 299, 196 and 302 of the BNS Act and to proceed in accordance with law.
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