Four years after the death of Communist Party of India (Marxist) veteran Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, his son Bineesh Kodiyeri on Thursday, 1 October 2026, shared an emotional remembrance of how his father had firmly refused to let the party serve as a protective shield when he faced a string of legal cases — including an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation. The recollection, posted on the occasion of Kodiyeri's fourth death anniversary, carries unmistakable resonance given the current political climate in Kerala.

The Words That Stayed

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, a former Politburo member, state Home Minister (2006–11), and state secretary of the CPI(M), reportedly laid down an unambiguous principle for his son at the very outset of the ED case. “The party will not answer for you. I will not answer for you either. You must answer for yourself,” Bineesh quoted his father as saying.

Kodiyeri's reasoning, as recalled by Bineesh, was strategic as much as principled. “If the party answers for you, it will always become a weapon for our opponents to attack the party. The more you explain, the more it will become a subject of discussion. So, if you are innocent, you must prove it yourself. You will not have any support,” Bineesh recalled his father telling him.

Refusing Political Compromise Even in Imprisonment

Bineesh also recalled that when he was in jail, his father held firm to the same position — Bineesh would face the allegations entirely on his own. According to Bineesh, individuals allegedly approached Kodiyeri with offers to facilitate his son's release in exchange for a political compromise. Kodiyeri is said to have rejected them outright.

“If my son has to shake hands with you to come out of jail, then let him remain in jail for the rest of his life,” Bineesh quoted his father as saying. For Bineesh, this refusal encapsulates the defining lesson of Kodiyeri's political life — that neither personal adversity nor the imprisonment of a family member could justify compromising the party's political position.

Context: The Veena Vijayan–CMRL-Exalogic Case

The recollection arrives at a politically charged moment. The Enforcement Directorate investigation into the CMRL-Exalogic transactions — involving Veena Vijayan, daughter of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan — has emerged as a significant political flashpoint in the state. The ED has sought further action in the case, while Pinarayi Vijayan has rejected the allegations, describing the charges as baseless.

Notably, Bineesh does not directly reference this controversy in his post. However, his repeated emphasis that his father never deployed the party as a defence mechanism draws an implicit — and pointed — contrast with the broader debate over how allegations involving the family of a senior CPI(M) leader are currently being managed by the party.

The Principle, the Legacy

Bineesh said the words his father spoke have gained deeper meaning with the passage of time. “I can proudly say that I have followed that principle to the letter,” he said. He maintained that Kodiyeri had faced every allegation and attack against himself and his family without allowing the party to be drawn in as a shield.

This comes amid renewed scrutiny of how political parties in India manage legal cases involving their senior leaders' families — a pattern that critics argue often blurs the line between institutional loyalty and personal protection. Whether Bineesh's tribute will translate into a wider conversation within the CPI(M) about the Veena Vijayan case remains to be seen.