As popular anger against alcohol shops has been growing in Tamil Nadu, the vehement protests have spread to parts of Puducherry too. On Wednesday, a clash between anti-liquor protesters and police in the Soriyankuppam village on the Puducherry Cuddalore Road resulted in three alcohol shops being burnt down.

The protesters had assembled in front of the alcohol shops at around 11am, demanding that 10 shops located in the village be removed immediately. As the pitch of the protests grew, some of the protesters began pelting stones at the shops.

The police then resorted to a lathicharge in order to disperse the crowd. However, the further enraged protesters set fire to three shops and burnt them down. Six persons have been arrested following the incident of vandalism. 20 others are allegedly absconding. 

Neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been seeing powerful and widespread protests against alcohol stores ever since the Supreme Court passed an order banning TASMAC stores within a 500m distance of state and national highways. With TASMAC stores being shifted into residential neighbourhoods, multiple communities have come out onto the streets, protestsing against the disturbance to safety and order of their neighbourhoods.

Alcohol shops have been vandalised in some protests. In others, even police personnel have been assaulted. On April 12, a major controversy broke out in Tiruppur when an Additional SP slapped and pushed a woman protester.

(With inputs from Sudhakar)