Don't play caste politics, warns Samy
Published: Aug 18, 2009 11:12 AM | Updated: Aug 18, 2009 11:16 AM
MIC president S Samy Vellu warns a contestant for a top party post not to rear the ugly head of caste politics in a bid to shore up support for the coming MIC polls.
MIC president S Samy Vellu warns a contestant for a top party post not to rear the ugly head of caste politics in a bid to shore up support for the coming MIC polls.
Although the veteran politician did not mention names, sources claimed that the reprimand was directed at none other than his estranged formed deputy S Subramaniam.
Despite a ceasefire between the two in the wake of the last general election, the guns have started to blaze again as the Sept 12 polls draws closer.
Subramaniam who was ousted in the 2006 party polls, is hoping to reclaim his post this time around.
As it stands now, he will be embroiled in a three-way tussle between the president’s preferred choice and incumbent G Palanivel and vice-president S Sothinathan.
Speaking to TV3 today, Samy Vellu expressed concern that certain quarters were resorting to such methods.
According to him, his "informants" told him that a candidate for a top post has been using caste as his political tool.
"My informants have been attending this candidate’s closed-door campaigns and they told me that he had asked his supporters to rally around him as they belong to the same caste," he said.
MIC for all Indians
Samy Vellu said he would advise the candidate not to break the unity within the party and Indian community by “flaming up the caste system.”
"This is not good for the party. I have built the party for all Indians and this person is trying to break up MIC," he lamented.
However, Samy Vellu stopped short of saying if the party would take disciplinary action against the candidate.
"We are monitoring his activities," he said, adding that MIC members, particularly the delegates who would be voting in the MIC polls must not fall for his tricks.
Earlier, Bernama quoting a source had reported that apart from money politics, another problem encountered in the MIC election was the use of caste to fish for votes.
Samy Vellu appealed to the delegates to vote a candidate based on his or her track record and not caste.
"The MIC is for all Indians. Let us not make them feel that the party is only meant for a certain section of the community," he said.
The president stressed that his team of candidates represented a cross-section of the Indian community.
Apart from Palanivel, Samy Vellu has also named Human Resources Minister and secretary-general Dr S Subramaniam, Deputy Federal Territories Minister and information chief M Saravanan and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and treasurer SK Devamany as his preferred candidates for the three vice-presidential seats.
Although the veteran politician did not mention names, sources claimed that the reprimand was directed at none other than his estranged formed deputy S Subramaniam.
Despite a ceasefire between the two in the wake of the last general election, the guns have started to blaze again as the Sept 12 polls draws closer.
Subramaniam who was ousted in the 2006 party polls, is hoping to reclaim his post this time around.As it stands now, he will be embroiled in a three-way tussle between the president’s preferred choice and incumbent G Palanivel and vice-president S Sothinathan.
Speaking to TV3 today, Samy Vellu expressed concern that certain quarters were resorting to such methods.
According to him, his "informants" told him that a candidate for a top post has been using caste as his political tool.
"My informants have been attending this candidate’s closed-door campaigns and they told me that he had asked his supporters to rally around him as they belong to the same caste," he said.
MIC for all Indians
Samy Vellu said he would advise the candidate not to break the unity within the party and Indian community by “flaming up the caste system.”
"This is not good for the party. I have built the party for all Indians and this person is trying to break up MIC," he lamented.
However, Samy Vellu stopped short of saying if the party would take disciplinary action against the candidate."We are monitoring his activities," he said, adding that MIC members, particularly the delegates who would be voting in the MIC polls must not fall for his tricks.
Earlier, Bernama quoting a source had reported that apart from money politics, another problem encountered in the MIC election was the use of caste to fish for votes.
Samy Vellu appealed to the delegates to vote a candidate based on his or her track record and not caste.
"The MIC is for all Indians. Let us not make them feel that the party is only meant for a certain section of the community," he said.
The president stressed that his team of candidates represented a cross-section of the Indian community.
Apart from Palanivel, Samy Vellu has also named Human Resources Minister and secretary-general Dr S Subramaniam, Deputy Federal Territories Minister and information chief M Saravanan and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and treasurer SK Devamany as his preferred candidates for the three vice-presidential seats.
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