The student wing of Meitei civil society group Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity on Tuesday intensified its protest against the Manipur administration by locking two Union government offices in Imphal, reported The Telegraph. This came in response to the May 20 incident when the words “Manipur State Transport” were covered on a state-run bus.

Protesters locked the offices of the chief electoral officer and the Geological Survey of India in Imphal West and demanded an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. They also held placards that said “Apology to Manipur or Leave Manipur” and “President’s Rule must stop insulting Manipur’s identity”.

This was part of the group’s broader campaign against Union government bodies. Tuesday marked the third consecutive day of protests.

On May 20, central security forces allegedly stopped a group of 20 journalists in Imphal East district and directed them to hide the “Manipur State Transport” sign on the government bus they were travelling in.

The incident occurred at the Gwaltabi checkpoint in Imphal East while the group was travelling to cover the Shirui Lily Festival, a cultural event organised by the state tourism department, in the Naga-majority Ukhrul district. The route to the district passes through several Kuki villages.

The team initially tried to comply with the direction. However, delays due to negotiations with the security forces forced them to cancel the trip and return to Imphal.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity had said at the time that the actions of the security personnel seemed like a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority and legitimacy of the Manipur government within its territory.

After the incident, public outrage further intensified in the state following reports that the governor was flown by an Army helicopter from the Imphal airport to Kangla Fort – which is only 300 metres from the Raj Bhavan – in order to bypass road blockades by protesters on Monday, The Telegraph reported.

Manipur has been mired in ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities that have killed at least 260 persons and displaced more than 59,000 persons since May 2023. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024.

President’s Rule was imposed in February this year after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. Bhalla has been administering Manipur since then.