Sat Oct 05 10:50:39 UTC 2024: ## Former Goa RSS Chief Sparks Outrage with Demand for DNA Test of St. Francis Xavier’s Relics
**New Delhi:** Former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar’s call for a DNA test on the relics of St. Francis Xavier has sparked outrage, with opposition parties accusing him of attempting to disrupt communal harmony. Velingkar’s remarks have been met with strong condemnation, with former Goa chief minister Churchill Alemao filing a police complaint demanding Velingkar’s arrest.
Velingkar’s controversial statement comes after he questioned the status of St. Francis Xavier as “Goencho Saib” (Protector of Goa), arguing that the mythological figure of Parashuram held that title. His demand for a DNA test on the saint’s relics, enshrined in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, has further inflamed tensions.
“The time has come to do a DNA test on Velingkar,” said Alemao, who filed the complaint at the Colva police station. “People of all faiths – Hindus, Muslims and Christians – have been living peacefully in Goa, but people like him are out to destroy the age-old communal harmony. The sentiments of all the people who venerate St Francis Xavier are hurt when such remarks are made.”
While the police have yet to register an FIR based on the complaint, the incident highlights the potential for religious tensions to escalate in Goa. St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Jesuit missionary, arrived in Goa in 1542 and is revered by Catholics worldwide. His relics are a significant pilgrimage site and hold immense cultural and religious importance for the Goan community.
First Piper 