Nation Pays Tributes to Veteran Marxist Leader Sitaram Yechury

Veteran Marxist leader and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury was honored at the CPI(M) headquarters with tributes from political leaders from various parties. Yechury, who passed away after battling a lung infection, was mourned by colleagues, political peers, and followers, with his body set for donation to AIIMS for research.

Rich tributes were on Saturday paid to veteran Marxist leader and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury at the party headquarters AKG Bhavan, where his mortal remains were brought amidst chants of 'Lal Salam' from his residence this morning.

Wrapped in the red flag of the CPI (M), Yechury's mortal remains were kept at the party office, where party leaders, including polit bureau members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Pinarayi Vijayan and M A Baby, and others paid their tributes to the leader.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also arrived at AKG Bhavan along with other party leaders to pay her last respects to Yechury.

Yechury was the first non-Congress leader Sonia Gandhi called after meeting then president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in 2004, following her decision to decline the prime minister's post in favor of Dr. Manmohan Singh—a relationship that withstood major political shifts, including the Left's pullout from UPA in 2008 over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, along with NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, and RJD MP Manoj Jha, also paid homage at the CPI (M) headquarters. Yechury succumbed to a lung infection on Thursday at the age of 72, having been in critical condition at AIIMS since August 19.

On Friday, his body was taken to Jawaharlal Nehru University, where hundreds of students and faculty members paid their last respects. Yechury, once an active student leader at JNU, became part of the Students Federation of India in 1974, serving as JNUSU president from 1977-78.

Later on, his body was brought back to his residence where senior CPI(M) leaders continued to pay tributes. BJP president JP Nadda also paid his last respects, placing a wreath on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today, Yechury's body will be taken to AIIMS for research.

Sitaram Yechury is survived by his wife Seema Chishti and his two children Akhila and Danish. His elder son, Ashish Yechury, passed away due to Covid in 2021. Yechury was previously married to Indrani Mazumdar.

(With inputs from agencies.)