Muslim truckers ‘beaten up’; concern over supplies of essential items

Itanagar: Several truckers, belonging to the Muslim community, were allegedly beaten up in Arunachal Pradesh, following which they fled to neighbouring Assam, leaving their vehicles behind, officials said on Sunday.
The incident, which follows several people across the country testing positive for coronavirus after attending a religious congregation at the Tablighi Jamaat’s Markaz (headquarters) in Delhi’s Nizamuddin last month, is likely to affect the supply of essential commodities, they said.
In a letter to the DC, Kurung Kumey district Food and Civil Supply Officer Chukhu Jirjo said the truckers, who unloaded rice at Koloriang, were beaten up by a group of men on Saturday at a place between Sangram and Palin in Kra-Dadi district.
Their trucks were also damaged in the attack, following which they left the vehicles behind and fled to Assam, the letter said. Jirjo urged the deputy commissioner to take up the matter with the DCs of Kra-Dadi and Lower Subansiri districts to ensure the safety of truck drivers and their helpers, without which transportation of essential commodities would be affected. (PTI)