Thu Sep 12 15:58:04 UTC 2024: ## Veteran CPI(M) Leader Sitaram Yechury Passes Away at 72

**New Delhi, India:** Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness. Yechury, who was the General Secretary of the CPI(M), had been in critical condition for several days following his admission to AIIMS New Delhi on August 19 for treatment of a pneumonia-like chest infection.

The news of his demise has triggered an outpouring of grief from politicians across the political spectrum. Leaders from various parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, expressed their condolences, acknowledging Yechury’s significant role in Indian politics.

Yechury, a prominent figure in the opposition INDIA bloc, began his political journey in the student’s union of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as a member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). He rose through the ranks of the CPI(M), becoming a member of the Central Committee in 1984 and the Politburo in 1992.

He served as a Rajya Sabha MP for 12 years, from 2005 to 2017, and was elected as the fifth general secretary of the CPI(M) at the 21st party congress in Visakhapatnam on April 19, 2015.

Yechury was known for his intellectual approach to issues and his connection with the people at the grassroots level. He was widely respected for his insightful debates with leaders across the political spectrum. His passing is seen as a significant loss for Indian politics.

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