Sonia, Modi, Stalin, Pawar lead tributes for Sitaram Yechury

Lok Sabha leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray were among those who condoled the death of CPI(M) general-secretary Sitaram Yechury on Thursday, hailing his commitment to his party and values he brought to politics.

Also paying his respects was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "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," Modi's X post read.

A statement from Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said, "I am very saddened by the passing away of Sitaram Yechuryji. We had worked closely together during 2004-08 to begin with and the friendship that had been established then continued till his very end.

"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. He was, of course, a life-long communist but that faith was anchored in democratic values. Indeed, his twelve-year stint in Parliament was memorable and left his indelible mark.

"He 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."

Yechury died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi following a prolonged illness. He was 72.

"The country has lost a leader who dedicated his life to a cause to protect the interests of labourers, farmers, and the common man. His devotion to his party and an honest commitment to the values will always be considered ideal in politics. I express my tributes to Yechury for consistently maintaining personal relationships despite political differences," Shinde said in a post on X.

"A key leader of CPM passed away today. He will always be remembered as an important voice among the left parties. He was general secretary of the CPI-M two times consecutively. His death is a major loss to the left parties in the country. He was indeed an important voice for the labourers, workers and farmers. I offer my tributes to Yechury," Pawar said.

Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla also expressed their condolences, saying Yechury left behind a rich legacy of unwavering commitment to public service.

"Deeply saddened by the passing away of veteran leader Shri Sitaram Yechury ji. His career spanning five decades has been marked by significant contributions towards strengthening Indian democracy. He leaves behind a rich legacy of unwavering commitment to public service," the vice-president's secretariat said quoting Dhankhar, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairperson.

Thackeray said Yechury's five-decade political career was filled with struggle, adding that he "was a good orator, student of the economy and a leader who would not compromise with his values, a patient and pleasant demeanour". Yechury was a frank speaker and was adored across parties, Thackeray added. "His sudden death is shocking. I offer my tributes to him," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.

Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said "we have lost a a leader who was in touch with various strata of society, and he would understand their pain".

Telangana chief minister A. Revanth Reddy, Union ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar and BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao also expressed their condolences.

Revanth Reddy, who expressed deep shock over Yechury's passing, said the demise of the senior Left party leader is an irreparable loss to Indian politics, according to a release from the chief minister's office. "Deeply saddened by the demise of veteran leader, former Rajyasabha MP shri #SitaramYechury Ji. He relentlessly fought to uphold democratic traditions. The void left by him would always remain unfilled," Reddy wrote on X.

The chief minister also conveyed his condolences to members of the bereaved family. Reddy remembered that Yechury entered politics in his student days and was active in national politics for over four decades, it said.

Bandi Sanjay Kumar and AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi were among those who also expressed their grief over Yechury’s death.

Owaisi in a post on X said: "Deeply saddened to hear of Sitaram Yechury’s passing. He was a consistent voice for secularism, social justice and democracy. We were both part of the All Party Delegation that had gone to Kashmir in 2016. My sincere condolences to his family, colleagues & comrades on their loss."

Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin wrote, "Deeply shocked and saddened by the demise of Comrade Sitaram Yechury, a stalwart of the Left Movement and a towering figure in Indian politics. Comrade Sitaram Yechury was a fearless leader whose commitment to justice was evident from a young age, as he courageously stood against the Emergency as a student leader."

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Samrat Choudhary expressed their sorrow over the death of Yechury, with the chief minister’s office saying in a statement, "Saddened by the passing of CPI(M) General Secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury. His death is an irreparable loss to Indian politics and society. My heartfelt condolences to his family and supporters."

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former Bihar Bihar CM Lalu Prasad also paid tribute on X, stating, "Lal Salam and humble tribute to Comrade Sitaram Yechury. Comrade, you shouldn’t have gone so early!"

Apart from politicians, those who paid tribute also included noted journalist Vir Sanghvi and actor Swara Bhaskar. "A rare politician of the old school: he was in politics because he believed he could make the world a better place. A great loss to Indian politics and for all of us who valued integrity, intelligence & decency in public life. My deepest condolences to his family," Sanghvi wrote.