Meitei protesters lock central government offices in Manipur’s Imphal amid growing tensions
Imphal: Protests by the student wing of Meitei civil society group, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, have escalated in Imphal with demonstrators locking the offices of the Chief Electoral Officer and the Geological Survey of India.
The move is part of a larger statewide protest demanding an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, as reported by The Telegraph on Wednesday.
Protesters also held placards that said “Apology to Manipur or Leave Manipur” and “President’s Rule must stop insulting Manipur’s identity”.
The unrest is rooted in a May 20 incident where security personnel allegedly ordered the removal of the words “Manipur State Transport” from a state-run bus that was transporting around twenty journalists to the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul.
The situation has further intensified due to reports that Governor Bhalla was airlifted by an army helicopter from Imphal Airport to Kangla Fort—just 300 meters from the Raj Bhavan—on Monday. This move was allegedly made to avoid protesters blocking the roads, which has fueled public outrage, The Telegraph added.
Violence has plagued Manipur since May 2023, with ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities. Over 260 lives have been lost, and thousands have been displaced.
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February this year, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
