Rioting after police shut down eateries

VADODARA: Minor rioting erupted in Yakutpura area of the Walled City on Thursday night. Locals had heated arguments with police who were trying to shut down roadside eateries in the area after 11 pm. Matters worsened when the police asked locals not to loiter on the main road and in the by-lanes.
Locals said the arguments led to clashes with the policemen. Sources said minor stone pelting also occurred in the area following which additional police force had to be called in.There were reports that tear gas shells were also lobbed. However, the police denied any such incident. "Many locals keep hanging out on the main roads in the old city area late in the night. The police were just asking them to go home to avoid any kind of trouble. There was no rioting and we didn't lob any tear gas shells," said city police commissioner, E Radhakrishnan.
Locals said the police had tried to shut down eateries and shoo away the locals in the walled city on Wednesday night too. On Thursday night, the locals got angry and clashed with the police. No police complaint was registered regarding the incident.