PINARAYI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan visited the house of CPM leader Kakkoth Balan, who died two days back. The chief minister along with his wife reached his playmate’s house by around noon, on Sunday.

He shared his memories of Balan, a friend who had always kept him close whenever threatened by political rivals. The chief minister also recalled Balan’s participation in Ganesh Beedi protests. He was then a local committee member of the undivided communist party and had to spend a month and a half in jail, following the agitation. It was under his leadership that we went forward to protect our CPM leaders and activists from rivals during the emergency, recalled Pinarayi Vijayan.

The chief minsiter spent around 15 minutes at the house. He consoled Balan’s wife Nalini, children Beena, Vinodan, Vineethan and then left for Thiruvananthapuram. The chief minister who had reached Thiruvananthapuram by Sunday morning, after his Dubai visit, landed at the Kannur airport by noon. He directly went to Balan’s house and had no other events scheduled.