New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Christmas message, amid ongoing criticism of the government regarding alleged attacks on Christians.

In a brief post on X, O’Brien quoted the Prime Minister’s Christmas message and questioned its intent. “Love? Peace? Compassion? Harmony? Goodwill? Christmas?” he wrote, tagging Modi’s post.

Earlier in the day, Modi had said that the Christmas prayer service he attended “reflected the timeless message of love, peace and compassion”, adding, “May the spirit of Christmas inspire harmony and goodwill in our society.” The Prime Minister attended a Christmas morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in Delhi, along with a large congregation of Christians from Delhi and northern India.

O’Brien, the TMC’s leader in the Rajya Sabha, has been vocal in recent days over reported incidents of attacks on Christians ahead of Christmas. On Wednesday, he criticised both Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of remaining silent on such incidents.

In a post on X, O’Brien shared a video that allegedly shows a local BJP functionary involved in a physical altercation with a woman inside church premises in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. “PM Modi and HM Shah, your silence on incidents like these in the Christmas season is deafening. Shame on you and your ilk,” he said.

The video circulating on social media purportedly shows BJP Jabalpur vice-president Anju Bhargava shouting at a woman with visual impairment in the presence of police personnel.

Meanwhile, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) president Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, on Christmas Eve, appealed to the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and chief ministers of various states to ensure strict enforcement of the law and provide proactive protection to Christian communities across the country.

Following the release of the Archbishop’s video message by the CBCI on Thursday night, O’Brien posted again on X, saying, “…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.”

Earlier this week, the CBCI had condemned what it described as an “alarming” rise in alleged attacks on Christians. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the bishops’ body said it was “particularly shocked” by the incident in Jabalpur, where a woman with visual impairment attending a Christmas programme was allegedly publicly abused and physically harassed by a BJP city vice-president.

The CBCI urged the Home Minister to ensure strict enforcement of the law and extend proactive protection to Christian communities so that Christmas could be celebrated peacefully.