Sonia Gandhi, Kapil Sibal, Sharad Pawar Pay Respects To Sitaram Yechury As Mortal Remains Reach CPI(M) Headquarters: Watch

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury's mortal remains were brought to the party office for public viewing, with tributes paid by leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Pinarayi Vijayan.

The mortal remains of CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury were brought to the party office in a casket adorned with flowers on Saturday. The CPM national committee earlier announced that the mortal remains will be kept at the AKG Bhavan from 11 am to 3 pm for public viewing on Saturday.

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken and Rajeev Shukla, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Kapil Sibal, and AAP leader Manish Sisodia were among leaders who paid last respects to Yechury.

Leaders including Brinda Karat, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, V  Govindan, MA Baby, EP Jayarajan, Prakash Karat were present at the party office. CPM activists were seen chanting 'Lal Salaam' and 'Red Salute' when the ambulance carrying Yechury's mortal remains arrived.

The mortal remains were brought to his residence in Delhi amid heavy rains on September 13 (Friday). 
Hundreds of students and faculty members of Jawaharlal Nehru University also paid their tributes to Yechury as his body was kept at JNUSU office for paying homage on. Yechury had been unwell for a long time and passed away at the age of 72 on September 12. As his family decided to donate his body to AIIMS, there will be no cremation and the body will be used for research or educational purposes.

People Like Sitaram Yechury Gave Their Lives For Others: Sibal

After paying tributes to Yechury, Rajya Sabha MP Kabil Sibal said Yechury used to mesmersie the Parliament with his interventions. "All politicians only think about themselves, dream of only power and position, but people like Sitaram Yechury gave their lives for others. They knew they were never going to come to power and yet all their lives were for others. He was a dear friend," Sibal said.

Yechury, who was admitted to AIIMS on August 19 for treatment of a pneumonia-like chest infection, was critical and on oxygen support. 
Yechury is survived by his wife Seema Chishti, an editor with news portal The Wire. He has three children — two sons and a daughter. One of his sons Ashish Yechury passed away due to COVID-19 in 2021.
He served as a Rajya Sabha member for 12 years, from 2005 to 2017. He became the fifth general secretary of the CPI(M) at the 21st party congress in Visakhapatnam on April 19, 2015, and took over from Prakash Karat.