Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness.
The 72-year-old Yechury had been receiving treatment for a lung infection at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi since August 19. He was initially admitted to the emergency ward and later shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Born on August 12, 1952, in Chennai, Yechury’s political career began in 1974 when he joined the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). He served as the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union three times and later as the All India President of SFI.
In 1984, he was chosen as a permanent invitee member of the CPI(M) Central Committee. Yechury also served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal from 2005 to 2017.