NEW DELHI: CPI(M) today condoled the death of noted jurist V R Krishna Iyer, saying the nation has lost a "towering figure whose service to society will always be remembered".
"Throughout his life, Krishna Iyer stood for the cause of justice, equality and socialism. With his moral stature and deep compassion for the downtrodden, he played the role of a people's tribune till the end of his life," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said in a condolence message.
Expressing deep sadness, he described Iyer as "a visionary jurist, statesman and champion of human rights".
Elected as an independent, he became the Law Minister in the first Communist ministry in Kerala in 1957, headed by EMS Namboodiripad.
As a Supreme Court judge, Iyer gave several landmark judgements which interpreted the rights of citizens under the Constitution favouring the common man, Karat said.