Veteran CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury passes away at 72 after long illness | India News

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Sitaram Yechury, Sitaram, Yechury

Sitaram Yechury was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on August 19. (File Photo)

2 min read Last Updated : Sep 12 2024 | 4:43 PM IST


Veteran politician and Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday at the age of 72 years after battling a prolonged illness. Yechury was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Aiims) on August 19 for the treatment of the pneumonia-like chest infection and was said to be in a critical condition.


According to reports, the veteran leader died at 3.05 pm today.

Yecheury’s association with CPI(M) dates back to 1975. Known for having friends in all parties, he worked closely with leaders from various non-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) parties throughout his decades-long political career.


Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with other political leaders, expressed their condolences on Yechury’s passing. Gandhi called him a protector of India.

 


“…Unrepentant Marxist with a pragmatic streak, a pillar of the CPM..,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X (fomerly Twitter).


Sitaram Yechury: Background and upbringing


Sitaram Yechury has emerged as the most popular face of his party in recent times. Born in 1952, he completed his schooling in Hyderabad and moved to Delhi in 1969. He earned his honours in economics from Delhi University in 1973 and completed his master’s at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 1975.


Yechury joined the Students Federation of India (SFI) in 1974, which marked the beginning of his political career at the age of 22. In the 1970s, he rose to fame by preventing the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from attending a JNU event and calling for her resignation. He was also arrested during the Emergency-era after he went underground to organise resistance. Later on, he was elected as the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students’ Union thrice within a single year between 1977 and 1978.


In 1984, he joined the Central Committee of the CPI(M) and, over the years, rose through the ranks.


“He is currently a member of the Polit Bureau, Head of the International Department and Editor of the CPI(M) Central Weekly, Peoples’ Democracy. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Indian Parliament) and leader of the CPI(M) Group in Parliament,” his party website states.

First Published: Sep 12 2024 | 4:34 PM IST

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