Mehbooba Mufti, Ghulam Nabi Azad condole Yechury's passing

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday expressed shock over the passing of veteran CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.

"Deeply saddened and shocked to hear about the passing of my dear friend Sitaram Yechury ji. We've lost a great statesman, a dedicated parliamentarian, and a remarkable human being. His demise is a tremendous loss for national politics. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues," Azad said in a post on X.

"Shocking. Deepest condolences to his family and loved ones," People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba said on X.

Armed with a Supreme Court order, Yechury was the first national leader to visit Kashmir to meet CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami -- who was among the mainstream leaders detained by the authorities in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

Yechury was also part of all-party delegations that visited Kashmir following summer agitations in the Valley in 2010 and 2016.

Congress leader Saifuddin Soz also condoled the veteran leader's death.

"I express my deepest sadness on the demise of senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury. I knew him closely for more than three decades and maintained friendly relations with him, till now," he said in a statement.

He said Yechury had "many qualities of head and heart and was respected all around, cutting across party lines".