Veteran CPM leader Sitaram Yechury passes away | India News

NEW DELHI: Veteran CPM leader Sitaram Yechury passed away at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness.
The CPM general secretary was in a critical condition and receiving respiratory support at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Yechury was being treated in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for an acute respiratory tract infection.
Sitaram Yechury, born on August 12, 1952, in Chennai, was a prominent figure in Indian politics.He had been serving as the General Secretary of the CPI(M) since 2015. Yechury spent his formative years in Hyderabad and Delhi, where his political journey commenced during his college days. He actively participated in student movements, particularly during his time at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where he emerged as a key figure in the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). His political activism during the Emergency (1975-77) further solidified his reputation as a staunch advocate for civil liberties and left-wing ideologies.
He served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha for several terms.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his grief over the loss of Sitaram Yechury, whom he considered a friend.
“Sitaram Yechury ji was a friend. A protector of the Idea of India with a deep understanding of our country. I will miss the long discussions we used to have. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and followers in this hour of grief,” Rahul said in a post on X.