Udaipur- Communist parties, including the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML), the Unified Marxist Communist Party of India, and the Udaipur Janhit Morcha, held a press conference at Shirali Bhawan in Udaipur.

The event was in response to Udaipur BJP MP Dr. Mannalal Rawat's inflammatory Facebook post, in which he allegedly spread fake news with incorrect facts to incite communal hatred, specifically targeting CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, his family, and leftist parties.

Addressing the media, CPI-M City Secretary Hiralal Salvi said that Rawat’s post falsely accused Sitaram Yechury of converting to Christianity and Islam after marrying Seema Chishti, while also portraying the leftists as anti-Hindu. Salvi pointed out that Yechury's daughter’s name is Akhila, but Rawat deliberately misspelled it as Akila to further provoke religious animosity.

CPI-M District Secretary Rajesh Singhvi has filed a report at Surajpol Police Station, demanding legal action against the parliamentarian. Singhvi criticized Dr. Rawat for spreading communal hatred under the guise of religion and misleading the public with factually incorrect statements.

He emphasized that Sitaram Yechury was born into a Telugu Brahmin family in 1952 and joined the CPI-M in 1975 at the age of 23. Yechury never participated in religious ceremonies after joining the party, respecting the religious beliefs of every individual. Singhvi accused the BJP MP of orchestrating a conspiracy to instigate violence and spread hatred against CPI-M leaders by pushing his followers into communal rhetoric. He further claimed that in Modi's regime, BJP leaders, from councilors to ministers, seem to be measured by their ability to spread communal and hateful speech.

CPI-ML State Secretary Shankarlal Chaudhary argued that religion is a personal belief, and the BJP does not have the right to claim ownership over it. He cited Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which ensures the freedom of conscience and the right to freely practice, profess, and propagate religion, subject to public order, morality, and health. He condemned the continuous violation of constitutional norms by BJP MPs, especially Dr. Rawat, who is undermining the Constitution. Chaudhary further criticized senior BJP leader and former Governor Gulab Chand Kataria for remaining silent on the issue, asking the BJP to clarify its stance on Dr. Rawat's controversial post.

CPI District Co-Secretary Himmat Changwal reiterated that the leftist parties honor secularism and religious freedom for all. While Yechury was an atheist, he firmly believed that religion is a sacred bond between the soul and the divine, requiring no intermediaries. Changwal emphasized that no one has the right to interfere in this relationship, and that the state and religion must remain separate, as defined by the Constitution.

CPI-M District Committee member Rao Guman Singh remarked that Dr. Rawat’s behavior continues to be unconstitutional, with his repeated anti-minority statements and divisive rhetoric, whether directed at Sitaram Yechury's family or indigenous communities. Guman Singh warned that a letter would be sent to the Lok Sabha Speaker demanding Rawat's disqualification as a member of parliament for inciting communal discord.

Udaipur Janhit Morcha Convener, Advocate Arun Vyas, added that Indian culture teaches respect for the deceased. He noted that people pause and offer their respects even when a funeral procession passes by, regardless of who the deceased was.

Courts also cease all legal proceedings against a dead individual. Vyas pointed out that Yechury is a respected figure who even donated his body to medical research. Despite his stature and clean record, Rawat's derogatory comments about Yechury and his family reflect the MP’s moral bankruptcy, he said.