L’dweep observes black day as Khoda returns to island

Lakshadweep administrator Praful Khoda Patel skipped Kochi airport to reach Lakshwadweep on Monday to avoid protests from people in Kerala.

Congress MPs, MLA and other elected representatives had gathered at the Kochi airport to submit memorandum to Khoda against the controversial decisions taken by him in island. However, Patel went to Kavaratti straight from from Goa.

Meanwhile, people in Lakshwadeep observed black day against Patel’s arrival. People hoisted black flags atop their houses and raised slogans against the administrator. The Lakshadweep police asked people to remove the black flags.The cops also videographed and took pictures of houses that displayed black flags.

“He may have evaded us but Khoda will face strong protests from people of Lakshadweep,” said Congress MP T.N. Prathapan in Kochi

Khoda who is a former minister of state for home Gujarat and a close confidante of Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to the island almost a month after the protests began over his controversial decisions.

Reacting to the ongoing protests he told media that the campaign against him was being organised by people based in Kerala.

Most political parties in the island including CPM, Congress, prominent people have termed many of the decisions as part of the BJP led Central government's agenda to saffronise the island. A section of BJP leaders of Lakshadweep have also opposed these decisions.

The administrator, however, claimed that he aimed at the fast paced development of the island. There is plan to increase the length of airstrip, open coconut processing units, increase tuna fish catch to 25,000 metric tonne. He said the people are being misled by vested interests.

Meanwhile, filmmaker Aisha Sultana against whom a sedition case has been registered following her “bio weapon” remark against the central government, moved Kerala High Court challenging the stringent sections invoked against her.

During a recent television prime time debate she had alleged that the government had unleashed bio weapon against people of island by lifting the Covid restrictions.

She said that her remark was taken out of context. The filmmaker stated that she had even expressed regret on social media.