Thiruvananthapuram: Youth Congress workers protested against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan while he was on board the aircraft, air carrier IndiGo has clarified in a report submitted to the police.

'After landing, as soon as the seat belt sign went off, the said passengers immediately stood up from their respective seats and rushed towards the Honourable CM shouting slogans in their vernacular language. Upon seeing this, one of the passengers travelling with the CM intervened,' the report said.

Exit doors likely open at time of incident

However, in another report compiled by Indigo authorities, the exit doors of the aircraft were open at the time of the incident. This is mentioned in the report filed by the pilot of the flight to the Indigo authorities.

It is being hinted that as the doors were open, the severity of the offence by the Congress workers sloganeering against the CM will be lowered. As per rules, once the exit doors of the aircraft are opened, any rude or unwarranted behaviour by the passengers comes under the ambit of the rules of the airport.

Kerala Chief Minister who was on board was sitting on a seat right next to the exit doors at the back of the aircraft.

The Indigo sources said that there are no hints of the protestors trying to physically attack the CM.

The report says that the protest and sloganeering lasted only for a few seconds. After the landing, the directions for removing the seat belt were given following which the cabin crew were also directed to open the exit doors. It was after the doors were opened that the Youth Congress workers protested and sloganeered against the CM. The cabin crew had tried to pacify the protestors, the report added.

Going by the rules, the action of LDF Convenor E P Jayarajan - pushing the Congress workers - is more serious than that of the workers sloganeering against the CM, Indigo sources said. The Indigo expressed hopes that the incident which has drawn national attention can be solved amicably.