Imphal, May 23: Protesters took out rallies in Manipur’s Imphal West and Imphal East districts on Friday evening over the alleged removal of the state’s name from a government bus earlier in the week.
At Chingmeirong in Imphal West, the rallyists raised slogans and attempted to march towards the Raj Bhavan, but were stopped by security forces, officials said.
Similar protest marches, including formation of human chains, were organised at Kongba, Lamlong in Imphal East.
“The recent incident involving journalists on a bus has clearly shown that top officials in the state have no understanding of the historical and cultural legacy of Manipur,” one of the protesters claimed.
Security forces had allegedly stopped a state-run bus carrying journalists to cover the ‘Shirui Lily’ festival in Ukhrul district on Tuesday, and forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) staffers to conceal the state’s name written on the windshield with a white paper.
A 48-hour state-wide bandh was also called by the Meitei organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) in protest against the incident.
The Manipur government has ordered a probe into the allegations against the security personnel.
It has also formed a two-member inquiry committee, which will “examine facts and circumstances involving security personnel and Manipur State Road Transport Bus carrying media persons to cover the Manipur Shirui festival on May 20 near Gwaltabi checkpost”, according to an order issued by the Home Department. (PTI)
