Lucknow:
Angered over power outages and poor water supply, protesters clashed with police, vandalised property and vehicles on Monday in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha town, around 370 km from state capital Lucknow.
The trouble began in the Hasanpur area of the Jyotiba Phule Nagar district headquarters when irate residents blocked traffic and held a sit in on the road.
Police tried to disperse the mob. However, a minor altercation broke out which turned violent as people started pelting stones at the policemen amid anti-government slogans.
Use of force further aggravated the situation as the protesters ran riot through the area and set a number of vehicles afire. Two trucks, a state roadways bus and a car belonging to a senior police official were among the vehicles charred by the protesters, police said.
People were angry at the erratic power supply and shortage of water in the town and grew violent when police tried to restore traffic movement, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Shailendra Pratap Singh told IANS.
Protesters were particularly miffed over Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Shailendra Singh's inability to keep his election promise of uninterrupted power supply to the town.
Police said, the situation was brought under control after more than four hours.