Manipur stir forces governor to fly from airport to Raj Bhavan

IMPHAL: Ahead of governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla's return to Manipur, security forces Monday prevented students and women from taking out a rally in Imphal West over the concealing of the state's name from a govt bus, and fired tear gas shells to disperse them, police said.The protesters had assembled in Kwakeithel and planned to march to Raj Bhavan, 3 km away, but were stopped from advancing. They then formed a human chain from Imphal airport to Keisampat, 200m away from Raj Bhavan.A large number of central forces, including of Assam Rifles and Rapid Action Force, were deployed along Tiddim Road from airport to Raj Bhavan.The governor arrived from New Delhi in the afternoon and took an Army helicopter to reach Kangla Fort, about 300m from Raj Bhavan, in view of the protests, a police officer said. The protesters are demanding an apology from the governor over the word 'Manipur' being concealed on a govt bus taking journalists to the Shirui Lily festival in Ukhrul on May 20.