Kannur (Keralam) | Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of late CPI(M) leader and former Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, on Thursday said he and his family had never dragged the party into cases and controversies involving them.
His remarks assume significance as the CPI(M) has maintained that the Enforcement Directorate's investigation into a case involving T Veena, daughter of Leader of Opposition in the Keralam Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan, was an attack on the party.
Bineesh wrote a lengthy Facebook post on Thursday, marking the fourth death anniversary of his father.
He said it was now four years since his father passed away and described the words as philosophical.
"Kodiyeri left, and the hunt against us ceased as well," he said.
Bineesh also referred to the Kiliroor gang rape case, the Paul Muthoot murder case and the Total4U scam, alleging that his name was unnecessarily dragged into them.
He also mentioned his arrest in the 2020 drug seizure case investigated by the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate.
Recalling his father's advice at the beginning of the drug case, Bineesh said Kodiyeri had told him that neither the party nor he would answer for him and that he had to prove his innocence himself.
"If the party answers, it will always remain a weapon for opponents to attack the party. The more it is explained, the more it will be debated," he quoted his father as saying.
He said Kodiyeri had faced the cases calmly and never used the party as a shield.
"I can hold my head high and say that I have followed this to the letter in my life," he wrote.
Bineesh also recalled an alleged attempt by people carrying a message from the Sangh Parivar to persuade his father to make a compromise in return for facilitating his release from prison.
"If my son can only come out of prison by shaking hands with you, then I will consider it better that he remains in prison for the rest of his life," he quoted his father as saying.
He concluded the post by saying that it was after his father's death that he truly began to understand that love was like an intense hunger.
Speaking to reporters later, Bineesh clarified that his post was not about any attempt to erase his father's memory.
Asked whether his post indicated a change in the CPI(M)'s earlier position that individuals should face cases without involving the party, he said Kodiyeri's stance remained unchanged.
"One statement my father always used to repeat was: 'You should not make the party your shield; rather, you should act as a shield for the party'," he said.
On whether the party was now taking a different position in cases involving its leaders and their family members, Bineesh said the party viewed the current cases as politically motivated attempts to target it.
"As a party family, a party member, and a party sympathizer, I must stand with the party's position," he said, adding that the two situations had to be viewed differently.
Asked whether this amounted to a double standard, he reiterated that Kodiyeri had consciously decided not to use the party as a shield in cases involving his family.
His mother, Vinodini Kodiyeri, who also spoke to reporters, said the family had faced its problems on its own and would not seek the party's intervention.
"We will never put the party under pressure for the sake of our family. We haven't done it so far. Whatever comes our way, we face it," she said.
She said the family would continue to stand with the party and that people who came to pay tribute to Kodiyeri were welcomed equally, irrespective of whether they were party leaders or cadres.
The CPI(M) is organising an event to mark Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's fourth death anniversary, which will be attended by senior leader Prakash Karat.
Meanwhile, Pinarayi Vijayan, in a Facebook post, said the void created by Kodiyeri's death was "irreplaceable", both personally and for the party.
"Even today, his memories shine before us like a guiding light," he said.
Vijayan said Kodiyeri had faced crises and hardships with a gentle smile and resisted attacks against the party firmly, without compromise.
He recalled Kodiyeri's political journey from the student movement, his experience of torture during the Emergency and his role in people's struggles. He also recalled Kodiyeri's role in maintaining communal harmony during the Thalassery riots, saying he had been at the forefront, risking his life.
Describing him as an able administrator, parliamentarian and organiser, Vijayan referred to the police reforms introduced by Kodiyeri as Home Minister and his contribution to the tourism sector.
Recalling their personal bond, Vijayan said Kodiyeri had been a source of strength through the years and that their relationship was beyond words.
"Drawing inspiration from his memories, let us move forward with greater strength," Vijayan said.
