The family of Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), donated his body to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for teaching and research purposes. Yechury, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness, was admitted to AIIMS on August 19, 2024, and died at 3:05 p.m., according to a statement from the institute.
The statement from AIIMS read, "Sh. Sitaram Yechury, aged 72, was admitted to AIIMS on 19th August 2024 with pneumonia and passed away on 12th September 2024 at 3:05 PM. The family has donated his body to AIIMS, New Delhi for teaching and research purposes."
According to the reports, Yechury was initially hospitalised with a high fever and later moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He was suffering from a respiratory tract infection which developed complications.
Yechury's political journey began in 1974 when he joined the Students' Federation of India (SFI). He became a CPI(M) member in 1975 and succeeded Prakash Karat as the General Secretary of CPI(M) in 2015 and was re-elected to the position twice, in 2018 and 2022.
Yechury was a prominent Indian politician who held a seat in the CPM politburo for 32 years. Additionally, he represented West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, from 2005 to 2017.