26th April 2026: Hindu activist Gautam Khattar has been arrested and now detained in Goa (India), following allegations of making offensive remarks against Francis Xavier during a Hindu gathering on 18th April in Vasco, Goa. Xavier was a 16th century Catholic priest and missionary from Spain, sent by the King of Portugal to spread Catholicism across colonies in Asia. After Goa came under Portuguese rule in 1510, Xavier arrived in 1542 to start missionary work. Responsible for converting thousands across Asia, Xavier remains a divisive figure. Declared a saint by the Vatican for this missionary work, Catholics in India hold him with exceptional reverence. After his death in China, his remains were believed to be bought to Goa where they are now housed and venerated in a Basilica in Old Goa.
For many Hindus, Xavier is associated with a brutal history of persecution and violent evangelism by the Catholic Church. Xavier, in his own writings describes Hindus “heathens” and “impure souls”, referring to Hindu deities as “ugly and horrible” and the Dharma as ‘devilish’. He instructed the destruction of more than 350 temples, seizure of Hindu orphans and sanctioned torture and public punishments. Writing to the Portuguese king in 1545, Xavier expressed his frustration of how how those who were recently converted were secretly continuing their former religions practices; which largely meant Hindus but also Muslims and Jews. Xavier therefore requests for the King to sanction the Inquisition, a violent judicial process by Catholic clergy to punish those they regarded as heretics or secretly practicing former faiths. The Goan Inquisition started in 1561; eight years after Xavier died.
During his speech on 18th April, Gautam Khattar described Francis Xavier as a terrorist, barbaric and cruel ruler and also urged Hindus to not visit and pray at at the shrine containing Xaviers remains. These remarks quickly went online, triggering protests and demands for his arrest. On 22nd April, Gautam’s 18 year old brother was arrested for allegedly preparing Gautam’s speech. This case raises questions on freedom of speech in India.