Srinagar, Sep 12 (KINS): CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, 72, passed away on Thursday while undergoing treatment at the AIIMS intensive care unit. Yechury was admitted on August 19 for a pneumonia-like chest infection and had been receiving treatment for acute respiratory tract infection. Despite being on respiratory support for several days, his condition remained critical but stable, according to a CPI-M statement on Tuesday. A multidisciplinary team of doctors was monitoring his care.
Yechury, who succeeded Prakash Karat as the CPI-M chief in 2015, was a longstanding member of the party’s Politburo for over three decades. He also served as a Rajya Sabha member from 2005 to 2017. Recently, he had undergone cataract surgery.
Reacting to the news, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences, saying, “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.”
The CPI-M’s student wing, Students’ Federation of India (SFI), also mourned his passing, saying on social media: “ADIEUCOMRADE Sitaram Yechury. SFI dips its banner in honour of our beloved comrade, former All India President of SFI and General Secretary of CPI(M), Sitaram Yechury.”(KINS)
CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury Passes Away at 72
