Goa Police late on Sunday detained Gautam Khattar, a YouTuber from Uttarakhand, on charges of “hurting religious sentiments” over his alleged derogatory comments about Catholic Saint Francis Xavier.
A police officer said they had received several complaints against Khattar. “…I have registered an FIR [first information report] Against Khattar under relevant sections of BNS [Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita]”.
Opposition Congress Party leader Peter D’Souza, who is among those complaining against Khattar, said the comments were extremely hurtful to religious sentiments.
Khattar, who describes himself as a “spiritual pulse” journalist who makes content related to “Baba Sadhus, Sanatan Dharma, foreign devotees and religious places”, allegedly called the saint a “terrorist” at the Parshuram Jayanti celebrations of the Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti in Vasco da Gama in Goa. He also allegedly made derogatory remarks about his mortal remains in a coffin being revered as holy relics.
Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti, which describes itself as an organization working for the protection, propagation and welfare of Sanatan Dharma, distanced itself from the remarks and apologised. “It is an unfortunate incident, and we condemn the statements made by the speaker. We extend an apology to all our Christian brothers with whom we lived like brothers. We never expected Khattar to make such a statement, and we immediately suspended him.”
Congress leader Yuri Alemaw described Khattar’s comments as malicious and extremely insulting. “I urge the Prime Minister to take immediate action and ensure his arrest and ban from entering Goa.”
The Aam Aadmi Party and the Goa Revolutionary Party also filed complaints against Khattar.
