New Delhi, — CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away today at AIIMS, New Delhi, following treatment for an acute respiratory tract infection. He was 72. Yechury’s family has donated his body to AIIMS for medical research, and it will be available for public homage at the CPI(M) headquarters, AKG Bhavan, before returning to AIIMS.
A prominent figure in Indian politics, Yechury began his journey with the Students’ Federation of India and joined CPI(M) in 1975.
Mr Yechury is survived by his wife and senior journalist Seema Chishti, daughter Akhila and son Daanish. His 34-year-old son, Ashish Yechury, died of Covid in 2021.
A member of CPM’s top decision-making body Politburo for over three decades, Mr Yechury was a Rajya Sabha MP from 2005 to 2017.
Leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, mourn his loss, with tributes highlighting his commitment to the “Idea of India.”