Latest news with #ImphalInternationalAirport
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
President's rule failed to maintain peace in Manipur, alleges state Congress chief
Amid protests over concealing the state's name on the windshield of a government bus, Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra alleged that the President's rule has 'failed' to maintain peace in the state. He also claimed Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who took charge in January this year, should be recalled by the Centre. The Centre had on February 13 imposed the President's rule in Manipur after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned, following a prolonged ethnic violence in the state. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation. In a post on X, Meghachandra, the Wangkhem MLA, alleged, 'Double-engine government had already failed Manipur for the last more than 2 years. President's Rule, too, has failed Manipur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly fails Manipur. Home Minister Amit Shah should resign. Manipur governor should be recalled.' The term 'double engine' is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state. Manipur Governor had to take a helicopter to fly from Imphal International Airport in order to reach Raj Bhavan, which is around 7 km by road travel from the airport, today. Who instructed Manipur Governor to remove the word 'Manipur' from the Manipur State Transport Corporation… — Keisham Meghachandra Singh (@meghachandra_k) May 26, 2025 The Congress leader's remarks come at a time when the state has been witnessing protests for the last few days over the concealing of the state's name on the windshield of a government bus last week. The protesters have been demanding an apology from the governor for the May 20 incident. The security personnel had stopped the bus at Gwaltabi check post, around 25 km from Imphal, and allegedly forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) staff to conceal the state's name written on the top of the vehicle's windshield with a piece of white paper. The bus with journalists on board was heading to the Shirui Lily festival in Ukhrul district on May 20 when the incident happened. Referring to the Gwaltabi incident, Meghachandra said, 'Who instructed Manipur Governor to remove the word 'Manipur' from the Manipur State Transport Corporation bus?' To intensify their protest, students and women's groups had on Monday formed a human chain, covering a stretch of six kilometres from Imphal airport to Keisampat, around 200 metres away from the governor's residence. In view of the demonstration, the governor, who had arrived in Imphal from New Delhi on Monday, had taken an Army helicopter to reach Kangla Fort, located around 300 metres from the Raj Bhavan. In a post late on Monday, Meghachandra also said, 'Manipur Governor had to take a helicopter to fly from Imphal International Airport in order to reach Raj Bhavan, which is around 7 km by road travel from the airport, today.' More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.
India Today
26-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Manipur Governor airlifted to Raj Bhawan to dodge protest over bus name row
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla was airlifted in an Indian Army helicopter on Monday to avoid large-scale protests along his route from Imphal International Airport to Raj Bhawan, a distance of less than six Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a civil society coalition, led a protest on Tiddim Road, where hundreds of demonstrators formed a human chain to express outrage over the removal of the state's name from a government protest stretched approximately 5.5 km from the airport's departure gate to Keishampat Junction, with many students among the participants. The latest round of protests was part of a broader statewide agitation spearheaded by COCOMI. The group has demanded a public apology from Governor Bhalla and the immediate resignation or transfer of Chief Secretary PK Singh, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, and Director General of Police Rajiv unrest was triggered by a May 20 incident, when a Manipur State Transport bus carrying journalists to the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul was stopped by central security personnel, who reportedly ordered the removal of the word 'Manipur' from the bus signage. The move was widely condemned as an affront to the state's identity and Bhalla, who had left for New Delhi on May 21 accompanied by Chief Secretary PK Singh, returned to Imphal earlier today. The purpose of his visit to the national capital has not been news of his return, fresh demonstrations erupted along his return route. Protesters carried banners that read: "Governor must tender apology to the people of Manipur - COCOMI" and "Apologise to Manipur or leave Manipur".Security forces were deployed in large numbers along the protest route. However, in a bid to avoid confrontation, the Governor and the Chief Secretary were flown from the airport and landed inside the fortified Kangla Fort. From there, Bhalla proceeded to Raj Bhavan."We are protesting peacefully and democratically. Escaping by helicopter is highly condemnable. Why can't he (Governor Bhalla) face the public for what he has done? We will continue various forms of agitation until he apologises to the people," a protester told India Today escalated further when demonstrators attempted to burn an effigy of Governor Bhalla at Kwakeithel Bazaar. Police intervened and confiscated the effigy before it could be set on a seven-member COCOMI delegation departed for New Delhi on Monday for a scheduled meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday. The talks are expected to focus on unresolved political and security concerns related to the continuing crisis in delegation is led by COCOMI convenor Kh Athouba and includes Yengkokpam Dhiren Meetei, L Jadumani Singh, Thiyam Bharat Singh, Laikhuram Jayenta Singh, Phijam Shyamchand Singh, and Yumkhaibam Surjitkumar.
