New Delhi: Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary and former MP Sitaram Yechury died on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 72 years old and was undergoing treatment at AIIMS here, where he breathed his last.
Yechury was admitted to AIIMS on August 19 after suffering from pneumonia and lung infection. He was later shifted to the ICU. The Left leader had recently undergone cataract surgery.
Born on August 12, 1952 in Chennai, Yechury was a member of the Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms from August 2005 to 2017. He was the General Secretary of the CPI(M) since April 2015. Earlier, he was a member of the CPI(M) Politburo since 1992 and a member of the CPI(M) Central Committee since 1984.
Mourning his demise, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said, “Sitaram Yechury ji was a friend. A keeper of the idea of India with a deep understanding of our country.”
“I recall the long discussions we had and my deepest condolences to his family, friends and followers in this hour of grief,” he said in a post on X.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote in a post on X, “Saddened to learn that Sitaram Yechury has passed away. He was a veteran parliamentarian and his demise will be a loss to national politics. My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.”
Yechury did his graduation from Delhi University and completed his postgraduation from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is survived by wife Seema Chishti Yechury and two sons.
He entered politics under the guidance of late party leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet. He became the CPI(M) general secretary in 2015, succeeding Prakash Karat.
