Veteran CPM Leader Sitaram Yechury No More; Tributes Pour In From Across Political Divide

New Delhi: General secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday. He was 72.

According to sources, the veteran leader breathed his last at 3.05 pm while undergoing treatment for acute respiratory tract infection at AIIMS, Delhi. He was admitted to the hospital on August 19 due to pneumonia chest infection and was later shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Despite being ill, he was active on social media till August 29.

“It is with profound grief that we announce the passing of CPI(M) General Secretary and our beloved comrade, Sitaram Yechury, who passed away at 3:03 PM on September 12 at AIIMS, New Delhi. He had been suffering from a respiratory tract infection that developed complications. We extend our thanks to the doctors, nursing staff, and the Director of AIIMS for their excellent treatment and care”, the official X handle of CPI (M) posted.

AIIMS professor in charge (medical cell) Rima Dada, in a statement, said that Yechury’s family has donated his body to AIIMS, New Delhi, for teaching and research purposes.

Yechury has been a member of the Politburo of the CPM since 1992. Previously, he was a Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal from 2005 to 2017. He played a key role in drafting the Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government in 1996 and forging the ruling coalition for the UPA government in 2004.

His demise prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the political spectrum.

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