Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has termed the protests by the inter-state migrant labourers at Paippad gram panchayat in Kottayam district as a 'planned conspiracy'.

He said the labourers were misled by people who wanted to create unrest in the society.

"The government would expose the conspirators," Pinarayi said on Sunday.

The chief minister also said that no migrant labourer would be allowed to leave the state during the lockdown period.

Hundreds of inter-state migrant labourers, mainly from West Bengal and Assam, living in Paippad took to the streets demanding transport facilities to return to their home states.

The labourers dispersed only after the district administration assured them of free food and accommodation till the end of the lockdown period.

Earlier, Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman too termed the protest as a 'planned one'. "Labourers from even Pathanamthitta arrived at Paippad on Sunday. That is why I said it was a planned protest. Police would investigate the incident," he told media persons at Paippad.