Praful Khoda Patel arrived in Lakshadweep on Monday after more than a month to a cold reception as people observed Black Day by wearing black clothes and holding black flags against the controversial administrator.

The special aircraft carrying Patel flew directly to Agatti airport in Lakshadweep as he bypassed the usual practice of flying from Kochi since protesters in Kerala, including MPs and MLAs, had been waiting at Kochi airport to meet him to raise their objections to his overbearing reforms.

Only his subordinates were present to receive Patel at Agatti airport. The administrator is on his third trip to the archipelago after taking over on December 5.

The icy welcome was in sharp contrast to the manner in which the islands’ residents had welcomed Patel the first time he had landed at Agatti in December when elected representatives had received him and thousands of men and women had held up placards greeting him.

On Monday, people dressed in black protested at their homes, respecting the Covid protocols. They held up placards and banners with “Recall Praful Khoda Patel” and “Go Back Praful Khoda Patel” written on them.

The administrator’s unpopular reforms have shaken the Union Territory and affected the life and livelihood of the 68,000 people who depend on fishing and coconut farming.

Police removed a large number of black flags strung on fences of residential properties in several places, including Kavaratti, the headquarters of the Union Territory, ahead of Patel arrival.

Kavaratti village panchayat member Thaha Malika of the Congress was among those who were left stranded as the police surrounded the area around the administrator’s bungalow as he arrived at 2.40pm. “We were at a house near the bungalow, but were not allowed to even step out as he arrived. I have never seen this kind of security here,” Malika told The Telegraph.

Patel has been widely accused of pushing the “saffron agenda” in the Muslim-majority islands by removing beef from mid-day meals in schools, painting tree trunks in saffron, bringing an anti-gangster law in a place with near-zero crime rate, introducing a two-child norm for panchayat members, empowering the administration to take over anyone’s land and destroying fishing infrastructure — all in the name of transforming the place into “another Maldives”.

The Save Lakshadweep Forum, an all-party initiative formed recently to protect the rights of the people, has decided not to cooperate with the administrator if Patel does not invite them for talks.

“This is the first time the people of Lakshadweep are observing a ‘Black Day’ to mark the arrival of the administrator. Historically, we have accorded warm receptions to all the administrators every time they have come to the islands,” local CPM leader and SLF joint convener Komalam Koya told this newspaper on Monday.

“We will not go to him seeking anything. But if he invites us, our six-member core committee will meet him and present our memorandum demanding the immediate withdrawal of all the controversial reforms,” he said.

Lakshadweep district panchayat member Asif Ali of the NCP said all parties were on the same page. “Many BJP leaders have quit or expressed open support to the movement against Patel’s anti-people reforms. We will not cooperate with him (Patel) unless he is ready to correct his steps,” Ali told this newspaper.

Although the Lakshadweep unit of the BJP is a part of the SLF, a spate of resignations protesting the drastic changes brought about by Patel and backseat driving from the Kerala unit of the party have left it divided.

The party’s Kerala-based national vice-president, A.P. Abdullakutty, who is in charge of the Lakshadweep BJP unit, has been at the receiving end of criticism from his own party men in the islands with many blaming him for the decision to book filmmaker Aisha Sultana for sedition over her reference to a “bio-weapon” during a TV debate.

A series of audio clips from his telephone conversations with party leaders in the islands have kicked up a row. In the latest audio recording, Abdullakutty can be heard warning party members against participating in the 12-hour hunger strike on June 7.