Renowned political figure Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), is reportedly in critical condition after contracting a respiratory infection.
Yechury’s health significantly deteriorated after his admission to AIIMS Delhi on Thursday, and he was subsequently put on a ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU).
According to sources, Yechury’s condition, which was already considered serious upon his initial admission three days prior, quickly deteriorated. While he was initially admitted for treatment of a pneumonia-like infection, the hospital has not revealed the exact nature of his illness.
An official medical bulletin has not been released by AIIMS, but a group of seven physicians is currently managing his care. Prior to this, on August 19, the 72-year-old leader was admitted to AIIMS with a chest infection that resembled pneumonia.
On August 31, CPI(M) had released a statement regarding the treatment of party leader Yechury. Yechury continues to be under treatment at AIIMS, New Delhi, for a respiratory infection, the party said. He had recently undergone cataract surgery and since then avoided any public appearance.
A source from the CPI(M) said that Yechury had gone for a checkup, and was admitted due to respiratory ailment. He joined the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) in 1974 and a year later, he became a member of the CPI(M).
In the 1970s, Yechury was President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union led by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) thrice. He was arrested during the Emergency. He, along with Prakash Karat, was responsible for turning JNU into a Left bastion.
Yechury is known for continuing the coalition-building legacy of former general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet. He collaborated with P Chidambaram to draft the common minimum programme for the United Front government in 1996 and played a key role in the coalition-building efforts during the formation of the United Progressive Alliance government in 2004.