New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday condoled the demise of CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi describing him as a protector of the idea of India with a deep understanding of the country.
Yechury (72) died at AIIMS here on Thursday following a prolonged illness. He had been in a critical condition for the last few days and was on respiratory support.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Yechury was an excellent parliamentarian and an outstanding intellectual who served the people of India with pragmatism blended with idealism.
“My heartfelt condolences on the passing away of Comrade Sitaram Yechury ji. He was a humble leader who chartered the unique territory of balancing personal equations with unflinching political ideologies,” he said on X.
“It is a great loss for all the liberal forces, for he was the collective conscience keeper of the progressives. Our final salute to a friend and a compatriot of liberalism, the Indian polity shall deeply miss him,” Kharge said.
In a letter to Yechury’s wife Seema Chisti, the Congress president said, “On behalf of myself and the Indian National Congress, I express my heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of Shri Sitaram Yechury, a veteran leader who dedicated his life to serving the people. His commitment and leadership will always be remembered and cherished.” “We extend our thoughts and prayers to your family during this difficult time of loss. We understand that such moments of personal grief are incredibly painful, and no words can truly ease the sorrow,” he said.
“Yechury’s contributions to the nation and his steadfast dedication to the betterment of society have left an indelible mark. His leadership and service will remain a source of inspiration for generations to come,” Kharge said.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi also condoled the demise of Yechury, saying he was fierce in his determination to protect India’s diversity and was a powerful champion of secularism.
“I am very saddened by the passing away of Sitaram Yechuryji. We worked closely together during 2004-08 to begin with and the friendship that had been established then continued till his very end,” said Sonia Gandhi in a statement.
“He was uncompromising in his commitment to the values of our country’s Constitution embodied so very forcefully in its Preamble. He was fierce in his determination to protect India’s diversity and was a powerful champion of secularism,” the former Congress chief said.
Yechury was, of course, a lifelong Communist but that faith was anchored in democratic values, she said, adding that his 12-year stint in Parliament was memorable and left an indelible mark.
“He (Yechury) played a pivotal role in UPA-1 and more recently contributed enormously to the emergence of the INDIA group in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He will be sorely missed,” Sonia Gandhi said.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “Sitaram Yechury ji was a friend. A protector of the Idea of India with a deep understanding of our country.” “I will miss the long discussions we used to have. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and followers in this hour of grief,” he said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condoled Yechury’s demise and said his passing away “is a profound loss for all of us”.
“His years of service and devotion to our country are worthy of the greatest respect. Most of all, he was an inherently decent human being who brought a sense of balance and gentleness to the harsh world of politics. May his soul rest in peace and may his loved ones find the strength and courage to face this tragedy,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a post on X.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh condoled the passing away of Yechury and said he was an “unrepentant Marxist with a pragmatic streak, a pillar of the CPI(M), and a superb Parliamentarian”.
In a post on X, Ramesh said, “Sitaram Yechury — a very fine human being, a multilingual bibliophile, an unrepentant Marxist with a pragmatic streak, a pillar of the CPM, and a superb Parliamentarian with a wonderful wit and sense of humour – is most sadly no more.” “Our association stretched over three decades, and we collaborated closely on different occasions. He had friends across the political spectrum and was admired for the strength of his convictions and for his most engaging personality,” Ramesh said.
“Salaam Tovarish. You have left us much too early but you enriched public life immeasurably and will not be forgotten.” Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma said he was deeply saddened over the demise of Yechury.
“India has lost a tall leader whose life was dedicated to Indian people’s struggle for equality and social justice. A courageous man of unwavering conviction and integrity, Yechury endeared himself to all those he met,” Sharma said.
Yechury left when he had much more to contribute and leaves a void that will be difficult to fill, he said.
The Congress, in a post on X, said Yechury’s demise is an irreparable loss to Indian politics. “May God give place to the departed soul in his lotus feet and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this sorrow.” PTI ASK ASK NSD NSD
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.