CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away today after a prolonged illness. The 72-year-old veteran leader breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
He was admitted on the 19th of last month and was on respiratory support. A statement from CPI(M) said that, on Saturday, the body of Mr. Yechury will be kept at the party headquarters, A.K. Gopalan Bhavan, in New Delhi, for public viewing and paying homage between 11 AM and 3 PM. Subsequently, the body of Mr. Yechury will be taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where it will be donated for medical research as per his wishes.
The President, Vice President, and Prime Minister have expressed grief at the demise of CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury. In a social media post, President Droupadi Murmu said that, first as a student leader and then in national politics and as a parliamentarian, Sitaram Yechury had a distinct and influential voice.
She said that, though a committed ideologue, Mr. Yechury won friends across party lines. In his condolence message, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the career of Sitaram Yechury, spanning five decades, was marked by significant contributions toward strengthening Indian democracy. He added that Mr. Yechury leaves behind a rich legacy of unwavering commitment to public service.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a social media post, said that Mr. Yechury was a leading light of the Left and was known for his ability to connect across the political spectrum. He noted that Mr. Yechury also made a mark as an effective parliamentarian. In his condolence message, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that Mr. Yechury was a protector of the idea of India with a deep understanding of the country. Senior leaders of political parties also expressed grief at the demise of Sitaram Yechury.
BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda said that Mr. Yechury’s decades of dedicated public service and immense contributions to the nation will always be remembered. He added that his departure is an irreparable loss to Indian politics.
Condoling the demise of Mr. Yechury, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that he was a humble leader who navigated the unique territory of balancing personal relationships with unflinching political ideologies. He noted that, as an excellent parliamentarian and an outstanding intellectual, Mr. Yechury served the people of India with pragmatism blended with idealism.
Expressing grief, CPI General Secretary D. Raja said that Sitaram Yechury was one of the most outstanding leaders of the Left and the communist movement in contemporary times. He added that Mr. Yechury was a lucid writer, an able parliamentarian, and a capable leader.
Born in Chennai in 1952, Sitaram Yechury was the topmost CPI (M) leader. He was thrice elected as President of the JNU Students Union. Mr. Yechury joined the CPI(M) in 1975 and was arrested during the emergency for his political activities. He was elected as the General Secretary of the CPI (M) in 2015. Mr. Yechury was elected to the Rajya Sabha for two terms from 2005 to 2017 from West Bengal. He served as the leader of the CPI(M) group in the Upper House of Parliament. In both the period of the United Front government and later the UPA government, Sitaram Yechury was one of the key interlocutors for the CPI(M), which was supporting these coalitions.