MIC factions at loggerheads at PWTC entrance

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC's 70th annual general assembly today saw both warring factions involved in a war of words, with water bottles and posters being flung at each other at the entrance of the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).
Over 1,000 supporters of ousted party president Datuk Seri G.Palanivel had gathered outside the PWTC since 8am calling for the removal of party president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.
Hundreds of policemen from the Light Strike Force (LSF) unit who were stationed in the vicinity since early morning had to be deployed to separate the supporters and prevent any untoward incident.
Both sides were seen shouting obscenities and holding provocative posters in support of their respective factions.
Some supporters were also seen hurling water bottles at the opposing side forcing the police to increase their presence.
According to former CWC member A.K Ramalingam, who is a Palanivel supporter, the group wanted Dr Subramaniam to step down from his post.
"Today, we have thousands of MIC members as well as those from the Indian community here.
"We want to let the Prime Minister know that we are not in support of Dr Subramaniam," he told reporters when met at the vicinity outside the PWTC, here.
He further claimed that Dr Subramaniam needed to step down as he misled the party and the Registrar of Societies (RoS) over the past two years.
"We are also questioning how RM33 million of the party's money went missing since.
"The money had been given to the party in 2013," he said without giving further details.
Ramalingam said the group will initiate the Gerakan Anti-Subramaniam (GAS) to protest his leadership.
"We will organise several gatherings next month at nine parliament constituencies to explain the movement to the people," he said.
Ramalingam added that while the group is supportive of BN and MIC, he hoped that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak would be able to solve this impasse.