CPI(M) General Secretary’s body to be donated to AIIMS tomorrow

New Delhi: CPI(M) General Secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi yesterday. He was 72. Yechury was admitted on Aug. 19 with pneumonia.

According to CPI(M) leaders, Yechury was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and was being treated for an acute respiratory tract infection. Over the past few days, he had been on respiratory support and under treatment by a multidisciplinary team of doctors with his condition reported to be critical.

He is survived by his wife Seema Chishti, editor of ‘The Wire,’ daughter Akhila and son Danish.

His family has donated his body to AIIMS, New Delhi, for teaching and research purposes. His body will be handed over to the hospital on Saturday.

Yechury’s body will be taken from AIIMS to his residence in Delhi today and will be kept there overnight. His body will be taken to the CPI(M) central committee office tomorrow morning for public viewing and will be handed over to AIIMS later in the evening.

Yechury succeeded Prakash Karat as the General Secretary of the CPM in 2015. He had learnt the ropes under late party leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet, who played major roles in the coalition era governance, first during the National Front Government of V.P. Singh and then the United Front Government of 1996-97, both of which the CPI(M) had supported from outside.

“Saddened by the passing away of Shri Sitaram Yechury Ji. He was a leading light of the Left and was known for his ability to connect across the political spectrum. He also made a mark as an effective Parliamentarian. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this sad hour. Om Shanti,” PM Modi said in a post on X.