Protesting youth and police clashed here on Friday during a spontaneous shutdown following hoisting of a BJP flag by a party activist at Lal Chowk.
After the youths pelted police and Central Reserve Police Force troopers with stones in the uptown Maisuma locality in the morning, police used batons and tear smoke shells to disperse the protestors who, however, kept re-grouping and engaging the security forces in pitched battles.
Trouble erupted after a BJP activist hoisted a party flag at the Clock Tower in the city's centre. As police whisked away the youth, shops and other businesses were shut in the busy city hub in protest against the incident.
The clashes continued in the area even several hours after the flag-hoisting.
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