Independent claims MIC youngsters assaulted him
S PathmawathyPublished: Apr 6, 2009 10:37 AM | Updated: Apr 6, 2009 10:44 AM
Independent candidate R Loganathan today lodged a police report against several member of MIC Youth wing for allegedly assaulting him and his supporters.
Independent candidate R Loganathan today lodged a police report against several member of MIC Youth wing for allegedly assaulting him and his supporters.
Loganathan, who is among the 13 independent candidates vying for the Bukit Selambau seat along with PKR's S Manikumar and BN/MIC's S Ganesan, said they were assaulted yesterday.
He said that the unidentified MIC Youth wing members had beaten and shouted vulgarities at him and his supporters when they had gone to help the people affected by the thunderstorm in Kampung Rusa in Bukit Selambau.
Speaking to Malaysiakini this morning, Loganathan said that he and his supporters had gone to help the victims after hearing the news from his brother-in-law Lu Choon Boon, whose house was also destroyed by an uprooted tree in the thunderstorm.
"When we were moving the things around... several MIC Youth members began swearing and cursing that I was helping in the hope to fish for votes.
"As there were only five of us and hundreds of them, we minded our own work... but when we were about to leave, they attacked us.
"Although we manage to run away, some of us still sustained light injuries," he said.
Loganathan said he knew the assailants were from MIC Youth as he recognised their orange T-shirts which had the word ‘MIC Youth'.
He said that he was disappointed with the behaviour of these MIC members and hoped that the authorities would take necessary action against them.
This is a cheap publicity stunt
When contacted for reaction, MIC Youth wing coordinator T Mohan rejected claims that his boys had assaulted Loganathan.
"His claims are full of lies. No one assaulted him," he said.
He added that Loganathan's police report was an attempt at gaining cheap publicity to canvass for last-minute votes.
He said that he was also present at the area when Loganathan and his entourage arrived, admitting that there was a brief exchange of words between the two sets of supporters.
"And then a group of his supporters were waiting for us in a car and started provoking us. A small heated argument ensued and someone did throw a punch at someone else.
"But I am sure it was not one of my boys who threw a punch at him. He was totally untouched," said Mohan.
This is the second time in the past 48 hours members of the MIC Youth wing had been in the spotlight for a wrong reason.
On Saturday night, some youth members courted police arrests for taunting and disturbing a PKR ceramah in Sungai Petani.
Their actions also came very close in provoking PKR members to retaliate.
However, a timely intervention by the police and the PKR decision to halt their ceramah prevented the situation from escalating.
Loganathan, who is among the 13 independent candidates vying for the Bukit Selambau seat along with PKR's S Manikumar and BN/MIC's S Ganesan, said they were assaulted yesterday.
He said that the unidentified MIC Youth wing members had beaten and shouted vulgarities at him and his supporters when they had gone to help the people affected by the thunderstorm in Kampung Rusa in Bukit Selambau.Speaking to Malaysiakini this morning, Loganathan said that he and his supporters had gone to help the victims after hearing the news from his brother-in-law Lu Choon Boon, whose house was also destroyed by an uprooted tree in the thunderstorm.
"When we were moving the things around... several MIC Youth members began swearing and cursing that I was helping in the hope to fish for votes.
"As there were only five of us and hundreds of them, we minded our own work... but when we were about to leave, they attacked us.
"Although we manage to run away, some of us still sustained light injuries," he said.
Loganathan said he knew the assailants were from MIC Youth as he recognised their orange T-shirts which had the word ‘MIC Youth'.
He said that he was disappointed with the behaviour of these MIC members and hoped that the authorities would take necessary action against them.
This is a cheap publicity stunt
When contacted for reaction, MIC Youth wing coordinator T Mohan rejected claims that his boys had assaulted Loganathan.
"His claims are full of lies. No one assaulted him," he said.
He added that Loganathan's police report was an attempt at gaining cheap publicity to canvass for last-minute votes.
He said that he was also present at the area when Loganathan and his entourage arrived, admitting that there was a brief exchange of words between the two sets of supporters.
"And then a group of his supporters were waiting for us in a car and started provoking us. A small heated argument ensued and someone did throw a punch at someone else."But I am sure it was not one of my boys who threw a punch at him. He was totally untouched," said Mohan.
This is the second time in the past 48 hours members of the MIC Youth wing had been in the spotlight for a wrong reason.
On Saturday night, some youth members courted police arrests for taunting and disturbing a PKR ceramah in Sungai Petani.
Their actions also came very close in provoking PKR members to retaliate.
However, a timely intervention by the police and the PKR decision to halt their ceramah prevented the situation from escalating.
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