New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of inciting communal tensions in Goa. He highlighted that the party’s actions threaten the state’s communal harmony, especially in light of recent provocative statements made by a former RSS chief regarding Goa’s patron saint.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Gandhi’s remarks were prompted by the ongoing fallout from comments made by Subhash Velingkar, a former leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Goa, about St. Francis Xavier. These comments have sparked protests and heightened communal discord in the region.

Gandhi, in a post on X, criticized the BJP’s governance in Goa, pointing out that under their rule, the state’s communal harmony is being compromised. He detailed how a former RSS leader provoked the Christian community and how Sangh-affiliated organizations have been calling for an economic boycott of Muslims. He condemned these actions as part of a deliberate strategy by the BJP to divide the community while simultaneously exploiting Goa’s environmental resources through illegal land conversions and ignoring environmental laws.

The tension in Goa escalated over the weekend as residents and political figures gathered in Old Goa to protest against Velingkar’s controversial remarks. The protestors submitted a memorandum to the local police demanding that Velingkar be removed from the state until the decennial exposition of St. Francis Xavier’s relics, which is a significant event scheduled from November 2024 to January 2025.