Kolkata/New Delhi: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien, who has been vocal in criticising the Centre over attacks on Christians, on Thursday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended a Christmas prayer service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption. In a post on X, O'Brien quoted a post by the PM on Christmas and asked: "Love? Peace? Compassion? Harmony? Goodwill? Christmas?"
The PM, in his post, said the Christmas service he attended "reflected the timeless message of love, peace, and compassion." "May the spirit of Christmas inspire harmony and goodwill in our society," he wrote.
Earlier, O'Brien shared Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) president Archbishop Andrews Thazhath's Christmas Eve appeal to the PM, Union home minister Amit Shah and CMs to ensure strict enforcement of law and extend proactive protection to Christian communities across the country.
"The church leadership have (never too late) put out a scathing message on video, calling out the duo. Well done. Strong words condemning what's happening in this joyous season," O'Brien wrote.
In his video message, Archbishop Thazhath said, "Peaceful carol singers and faithful gathered in churches before Crips for prayers have been targeted, causing fear and distress among law-abiding citizens who seek only to celebrate their faith in peace.
"Such incidents deeply wound the spirit of our Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, which promises every Indian the freedom to worship their faith without fear. With a heavy heart, yet with hope, I unequivocally condemn these acts of hatred and violence, and I respectfully urge those responsible people to take visible action against those who seek to divide our society," he added.
O'Brien also slammed BJP on the basis of a video that showed a BJP functionary in a physical altercation with a woman in a church in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur.
"PM Modi and HM Shah, your silence on incidents like these in the Christmas season is deafening. Shame on you and your ilk," O'Brien wrote on X, sharing the video. The video in question showed BJP's Jabalpur vice-president Anju Bhargava shouting at a woman with visual impairment in the presence of police.
Trinamool also strongly condemned an incident in which vendors selling Santa Claus hats and pictures in Puri, including an elderly couple, were harassed, humiliated, and told to leave by a group manning the road near the Shree Jagannath Temple in an SUV on Dec 21.
A video showed four people, one of them clad in yellow, getting off the car near Jail Road and threatening vendors.