The death of a 21-year-old truck driver at Tuting in Arunachal Pradesh has sparked tension at Silapathar in Assam’s Dhemaji district.
Truck driver Dhurba Pathak was allegedly shot dead on November 14 by a man at Tuting in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh following a heated argument over a road accident.
The protesters, who are staging a road blockade on National Highway-15 at Silapathar, have stopped Arunachal Pradesh bound oil tankers and other good trucks for the last four days.
Supply of fuel and other essential items to central Arunachal districts is on halt due to the protests, causing a shortage of petrol, diesel and construction materials in the area.
Several protesters blocked the highway at Sili on Thursday, but the police and paramilitary jawans resorted to baton charge to disperse them and cleared the roadblock.
However, the truck drivers have refused to ferry fuel and other goods to Arunachal districts until administrative officers of Arunachal ensure the security of the truckers.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the DCs and SPs from seven Central Arunachal districts is scheduled to be held at Pasighat on Friday (tomorrow) to defuse the prevailing tension.
The Arunachal government has invited Dhemaji Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police to attend the meeting.