Panaji, Feb 16 (IANS): The Congress has sought ab apology from Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte for allegedly insulting religious sentiments by mispelling the name of the Holy Spirit Church in the carnival advertisement issued on social media.

A curtain raiser programme of the Carnaval will take place on February 17. In this regard, the Tourism Department has released advertisement of scheduled programmes from February 17 to 21, wherein at one place it has mentioned "Holi Sprit Church".

"It is a shame that the insensitive and irresponsible BJP Government does not know to write the names of religious shrines properly. Tourism Department must stop insulting religious sentiments," Congress state General Secretary, Viriato Fernandes said.

Reacting sharply to the spelling errors in the advertisement, he said: "I demand that the said advertisement must be withdrawn immediately and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte must apologise to the Goans for insulting religious sentiments."

"Tourism Department has insulted the religious sentiments of the Christian Community by writing 'Holi Sprit Church' instead of 'Holy Spirit Church' in the advertisement issued on Social Media. This must be deliberately done by the RSS guided Government," he alleged.

Netizens have also criticised the BJP government over the issue.

"Goa Tourism Department doesn't even know how to spell one of the oldest Churches," a netizen posted on social media.