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Veteran CPM leader Sitaram Yechury passes away

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Sitaram Yechury, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], has passed away at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness. The party announced his demise in a statement on social media platform X, saying, "Our beloved comrade Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of CPI(M), passed away at AIIMS today. Red Salute to Comrade Sitaram Yechury!"

Yechury had been in critical condition and was receiving respiratory support at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi prior to his passing.

Born on August 12, 1952, in Chennai, Yechury was a prominent figure in Indian politics. He had been serving as the General Secretary of the CPI(M) since 2015. His political journey began during his college days in Hyderabad and Delhi, where he actively participated in student movements. He rose to prominence as a key figure in the Students' Federation of India (SFI) during his time at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

 

Yechury's political activism during the Emergency (1975-77) established him as a staunch advocate for civil liberties and left-wing ideologies. He served as a Rajya Sabha MP for 12 years, from 2005 to 2017, before assuming the role of the fifth general secretary of the CPI(M) at the 21st party congress in Visakhapatnam on April 19, 2015.

In recent years, Yechury played a significant role in the joint opposition's INDIA bloc and was considered one of the political mentors of Congress leader and Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a message on X, stating, "Saddened by the passing away of Shri Sitaram Yechury Ji. He was a leading light of the Left and was known for his ability to connect across the political spectrum. He also made a mark as an effective Parliamentarian. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this sad hour. Om Shanti."

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First Published: Sep 12 2024 | 6:32 PM IST

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