– Raheem Khan
Jaipur: Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary and Sikar MP Amararam on Friday demanded immediate arrest of Udaipur BJP MP Dr. Manna Lal Rawat for making communal and factually incorrect remarks about the late CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury. Amararam strongly condemned Rawat’s Facebook post, which he described as defamatory and aimed at spreading communal hatred.
Sitaram Yechury, who passed away on September 12, was widely respected home and abroad as a prominent left-wing leader. In the wake of his death, leaders from across the political spectrum, including BJP National President J.P. Nadda and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid tribute to him. Despite this, Amararam expressed his disappointment that the BJP has not yet taken any action against MP Rawat for his inflammatory social media post, nor has the party condemned the remarks.
In his post, Dr. Rawat falsely claimed that Comrade Yechury had converted to Christianity and Islam and accused the Left of being anti-Hindu. The CPI(M) has demanded that an FIR be filed against Rawat, leading to his arrest and the cancellation of his parliamentary membership. Amararam argued that Rawat’s remarks are not only factually incorrect but also incite communal violence, rendering him unfit to serve as an MP.
Earlier, CPI(M) city secretary Hiralal Salvi held a press conference in Udaipur, where he criticized Rawat’s statements. He noted that Rawat had intentionally misrepresented Yechury’s family, including spelling his daughter’s name incorrectly. Salvi emphasized that Yechury, born into a Telugu Brahmin family, had always respected religious diversity and never participated in religious events after joining the CPI(M).
CPI(M) district secretary Rajesh Singhvi has already filed a legal complaint against MP Rawat at Surajapol police station, accusing him of inciting communal hatred with false claims.
The CPI(M-L) state secretary, Shankarlal Chaudhary, stressed that religion is a personal belief, and no political party, including the BJP, has the authority to interfere in an individual’s faith. He cited Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to practice any religion. He accused BJP MPs of regularly violating constitutional norms and called for accountability.
CPI district co-secretary Himmat Changwal reiterated that Yechury respected secularism and believed in the personal nature of faith. Changwal emphasized that no one has the right to dictate another person’s religious beliefs, and the Constitution has clearly drawn a line between religion and the state, which should not be crossed.
CPI(M) board member Rao Guman Singh added that MP Rawat’s repeated communal comments are not only unconstitutional but also undermine social harmony. He accused Rawat of fostering division through his rhetoric and announced that a formal letter would be sent to the Lok Sabha Speaker, urging the cancellation of Rawat’s parliamentary membership.
