Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) leader and leftist icon, dies at 72

New Delhi, Sept 12: CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday at the age of 72. He had been receiving treatment for a severe respiratory infection at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Yechury was admitted to AIIMS on August 19 with a serious pneumonia-like infection and was placed under intensive care by a multi-disciplinary team.

He is survived by his wife, Indrani Mazumdar, and their two children, a son and a daughter. His elder son, Ashish Yechury, had died in 2021.

A significant figure in Indian leftist politics, Yechury had served as the CPI(M) General Secretary since 2015 and was re-elected for a second term in 2018, succeeding Prakash Karat.

In his final public appearance, Yechury recorded a video tribute to his long-time comrade and former West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who passed away the previous month. Due to his illness, Yechury was unable to attend Bhattacharya's funeral.

Having recently undergone cataract surgery, Yechury was a member of the CPI(M) Politburo for over 30 years.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences, describing Yechury as a "protector of the Idea of India" and a dear friend. "I will miss our long discussions. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and followers during this time of mourning," Gandhi wrote in a post on X.