In the visuals aired on TV channels, a visibly angry Khan could be seen talking tough to the police personnel.

Besides police, his officials and local people gathered in large numbers at the spot. A number of activists of the ruling CPI(M)’s students’ wing Student Federation of India staged a black flag protest against the Governor when he was on his way to nearby Kottarakkara for a function.

“I was supposed to attend a meeting at Swami Sadanand Ashram at 11 but when I reached here, some people tried to hit my car. I have already said that I have no problem if somebody shows a black flag from a distance. But if they come near my car, then I will get down,” Arif Mohammed Khan said.

“What I saw when I got down is not important. According to the police, there were 17 people here and you can count the number of policemen present here at the moment. How many policemen were there? My only question is, if the Chief Minister was passing by this road, would the police stand with persons holding black flags and allow them to hit the car? I am not blaming the police. Because they take orders from superior authority.

It is the Chief Minister of the state who is promoting lawlessness here. It is he who is giving direction to the police to offer protection to these lawbreakers, many of whom have a number of criminal cases pending. I believe more than 40 cases are pending against the president of the organisation alone. They are only daily wagers of the party. They are paid by the Chief Minister to carry out protests. They have booked 17 people. I am going by their version although I have seen more than 50 people. Should the policemen not have removed the protestors before I arrived here? They can’t remove them because the CM wants them to do this. This is not a fight against anybody or any party. I have nothing to do with that. But as head of the state, I will not tolerate lawlessness,” he said.

The governor alleged that the number of policemen was definitely larger than the number of protestors and asked what treatment was meted out to those who came to protest against the Kerala Sadas bus.

Responding to media questions, the governor asked the journalists to use their common sense and decipher who must have sent the protestors there. “They all were arrested and taken but where is the vehicle that brought them?” the governor asked, alleging that the protestors were brought in police cars.

He added that he was not protesting but rather waiting for the report so that he could send the same to the central government as he left for the Ashram.