Rich tributes and condolences pour in for CPM stalwart Sitaram Yechury
Hyderabad: Condolences poured in for CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who passed away in New Delhi on Thursday, from across the political firmament.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep shock at the passing away of a “prominent national leader”. He conveyed his condolences to the veteran Left leader’s bereaved family.
BRS president and former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said, “The passing away of Yechury has come as a shock. In his death, the country, particularly the Left movement, the CPM and the working class, have lost a great leader.”
Union minister and BJP state president G. Kishan Reddy said “Yechury was a leader who was committed to his ideological moorings throughout his life and worked for the betterment and rights of the weak, backward sections, workers and farmers.”
In his message, Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that he had a lot of respect for the departed leader’s work among the people despite their ideological differences. “He will remain in the hearts of Telugu people”, Sanjay Kumar said.
Recalling his 50-year old association with the departed leader, CPM politburo member B.V. Raghavulu said he knew him from the days when they both were with the SFI.
“During the state bifurcation, he worked in such a way that neither state would lose out. He was instrumental in bringing together parties in the I.N.D.I.A. alliance. He had been wedded to the cause of people since his student days,” he said.
Fellow-party leader Y. Venkateshwar Rao said, “Yechury was an intellect and had fought both the emergency of Indira and the undeclared emergency of Narendra Modi.”
Party’s state secretariat member S. Veeraiah recalled that the leader had closely guided the party against the World Bank policies and the struggle for land under YSR for six months.
“The party under him struggled against caste discrimination and for a SC, ST sub-plan. He was closely associated with movements in Telugu states,” he said.
Party veteran and AIKS state president Sarampally Malla Reddy reminded that the leader had spearheaded the introduction of bills for NREGA, Forest Rights Act 2006 and RTI.
“The strength of 64 seats bills in parliament was used to get the Land Acquisition Act 2013 passed and attempts to water it down by the BJP under Modi had to be abandoned because of his efforts in the Rajya Sabha. The AIKS backed the farmers' protest against the three farm laws under his leadership.”
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi took to X and 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 (sic).”
MLA and CPI leader Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao said, “Yechury had led many workers and peoples movements and carved a niche for himself as a leader. Having worked in the mass organizations of the CPM he went on to become a national leader.”
