Veteran CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury no more

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 72 years old. According to the CPI(M), Yechury had been in critical condition in recent days and was receiving respiratory support. He died at 3.05 pm.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), CPI(M) announced, “It is with profound grief that we announce the passing away of CPI(M) General Secretary, our beloved Comrade Sitaram Yechury, at 3.03 pm today, September 12, at AIIMS, New Delhi.” The party further expressed their gratitude: “We thank the doctors, nursing staff, and the Director of the Institute for the excellent treatment and care extended to Comrade Yechury. Details of public viewing and homage will be informed.”

Yechury had been battling a respiratory tract infection that led to complications. Earlier, CPI(M) had stated that the 72-year-old leader was undergoing treatment for an acute respiratory tract infection in the ICU at AIIMS, Delhi. Admitted on August 19 for a pneumonia-like chest infection, Yechury’s condition had been critical, with oxygen support required. Sources revealed he also had a fungal infection in his lungs.

Starting his political journey in the student union at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as a member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Yechury advanced to the Central Committee of CPI(M) in 1984 and joined the Politburo in 1992. He served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2005 to 2017 and became the CPI(M) General Secretary at the 21st party congress in Visakhapatnam on April 19, 2015, succeeding Prakash Karat. Yechury was also a key figure in the joint opposition’s INDIA bloc and was considered a mentor to Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.