Imphal: Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh alleged that the President’s rule has “failed” to restore peace in the strife-torn state.
He also claimed that Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who took charge in January this year, should be recalled by the Centre.
In a post on X, Meghachandra Keisham Singh, 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 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, which was heading to the Shirui Lily festival in Ukhrul district on May 20.
The security personnel had stopped the bus, with journalists on board, 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 protesters have been demanding an apology from the governor for the May 20 incident.
Referring to the incident, Meghachandra said, “Who instructed Manipur Governor to remove the word ‘Manipur’ from the Manipur State Transport Corporation bus?”
On Monday, students and women’s groups formed a human chain, covering a stretch of six kilometres from Imphal airport to Keisampat, around 200 metres away from the governor’s residence.
Governor Bhalla, 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.
He added, “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.”
ALSO READ: Timber worth Rs 3.1 crore seized in Manipur; 61 vehicles confiscated
Amid persistent ethnic violence in Manipur, the Centre imposed President’s Rule on February 13, 2025, just days after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned from his post.
The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.
