Protests erupted in Goa over inflammatory remarks made by former RSS leader, Subhash Velingkar, about a revered Catholic missionary, St. Francis Xavier. While the Goa Church called for peace and strongly condemned Velingkar's statements, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of purposely sparking communal tensions in Goa and across India. Calls for strict legal action against Velingkar were made by the Council for Social Justice and Peace, but despite multiple complaints, he has not yet been arrested and has sought anticipatory bail.