Honda workers riot in New Delhi

Indian police and striking workers of the Indian unit of the Japanese motor company Honda were engaged in running street battles in the suburbs of New Delhi for a second day. Hospitals said they were overwhelmed by the injured.

Television images showed furious women chasing police officers and pounding them with canes; other footage showed policemen beating dozens of protesting Honda workers with bamboo sticks and firing shots into the air.

Communist party workers, who supported the Honda strikers, were blasted with water cannon, and teargas was used against the protesters.

Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the ruling coalition government, and the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, expressed anguish over the riots. Honda claimed many of the rioters were not their workers, implying outsiders had whipped up emotions.

Japan's ambassador to New Delhi warned that such incidents would damage India's image for investors.

The clashes started after workers of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters staged a protest to demand the reinstatement of dismissed and suspended colleagues. Despite two months of talks between Honda management and staff, no agreement was reached.

The Communist Party of India, which lends crucial support to Mrs Gandhi's coalition, has become increasingly vocal about the present administration's "neo-liberal" policies.