IMPHAL, May 27 – Security forces in Imphal fired tear gas on Monday to disperse student and women demonstrators protesting the concealment of the state’s name on a government vehicle, police said, as Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla returned to the state amid heightened tensions.
The incident occurred in Imphal West where protesters gathered in Kwakeithel with plans to march to the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor, located approximately three kilometres away. Police blocked the rally, prompting demonstrators to form a human chain along Tiddim Road, from Imphal airport to Keisampat, about 200 metres from Raj Bhavan.
Authorities deployed heavy security, including personnel from the Assam Rifles and Rapid Action Force, to maintain order along the protest route. Governor Bhalla, arriving from New Delhi on Monday afternoon, was transported by Army helicopter to Kangla Fort — located just 300 metres from the Raj Bhavan — to avoid confrontation with the protestors, a police official said.
The protest was triggered by the removal of the word “Manipur” from a government bus transporting journalists to the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul on May 20. Demonstrators have demanded a public apology from the governor for what they view as a symbolic erasure of the state’s identity.
No injuries were reported during the dispersal, and officials have not confirmed whether any arrests were made.
