Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury's condition is critical and he is on respiratory support at AIIMS in Delhi, his party said on Tuesday. The 72-year-old Yechury is being treated for acute respiratory tract infection at the ICU in AIIMS, it said in a statement.
A multi-disciplinary team of doctors is closely monitoring his condition, which is critical at this time, the party added. "He is on respiratory support. A multi-disciplinary team of doctors is closely monitoring his condition, which is critical at this time," the CPI-M said in its official release.
Yechury was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on August 19 for the treatment of a pneumonia-like chest infection. The exact nature of his ailment has not been revealed by the hospital.
Previously, the CPI-M said that Yechury's condition was stable and that was he was responding positively to the treatment. Yechury had recently undergone cataract surgery. He had also released a 6-minute-long video message on August 22 after the death of former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.
A day later, Yechury posted a message of solidarity between the CPI-M, Congress, and the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir for the upcoming assembly elections.
He joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1975, a year after becoming a member of the Students' Federation of India (SFI). He was arrested during the Emergency while still a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and served as president of the JNU Students' Union three times between 1977 and 1988.
Yechury, along with Prakash Karat, is credited with strengthening the leftist presence at JNU. The 72-year-old leader is recognized for upholding the coalition-building legacy of former General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet.
He co-drafted the common minimum programme for the United Front government in 1996 and played a significant role in forming the United Progressive Alliance government in 2004. Recently, Yechury launched a critique of the Union government, accusing it of attempting to infiltrate RSS personnel to further its agenda.