Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge Pay Tribute to Late CPI(M) Leader Sitaram Yechury

Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge honored the late CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, acknowledging his unwavering commitment to the nation and his influential role within the INDIA bloc. Yechury, a formidable politician and parliamentarian, passed away on September 21 after battling a respiratory infection.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, paid tribute on Saturday to the late CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, emphasizing Yechury's steadfast dedication to India. Gandhi lauded Yechury for being a trustworthy and uncompromised political figure in today's environment. 'He always acted in the nation's interest,' Gandhi stated.

Describing Yechury as a flexible politician and a friend, Gandhi highlighted, 'Politics often reveals the worst in people, but Yechury managed to show his best. He might have been on the opposite end of the ideological spectrum, but his commitment to India was unwavering.' Gandhi also noted Yechury's close friendship with his mother, Sonia Gandhi.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also paid homage, recounting Yechury's significant contribution to the INDIA bloc. 'He believed deeply in parliamentary democracy and equality,' Kharge said, adding, 'Sitaram ji always called me his comrade.'

Sitaram Yechury passed away on September 21 at AIIMS Delhi due to a respiratory tract infection. Having joined CPI(M) in 1975, Yechury's political journey included significant roles such as being elected to the Central Committee in 1985, the Central Secretariat in 1989, and the Polit Bureau in 1992. He served as General Secretary of CPI(M) from 2015 and was a two-term Rajya Sabha member from 2005 to 2017. He received the Best Parliamentarian Award in 2017.

(With inputs from agencies.)