The two groups had rallies 500 metres apart in an Indian neighbourhood in Lunas.
By Athi Shankar
LUNAS: PKR supporters tried to disrupt a Hindraf gathering here today, but police managed to prevent the situation from turning ugly.
The gathering was held about 500 metres away from a PKR rally in the predominantly Indian neighbourhood of Paya Besar. Police presence was heavy.
Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy arrived to speak at the function at 4.45pm, nearly an hour after the start of the PKR rally, where one of the speakers was N Surendran, the party’s candidate for Padang Serai.
Sources said PKR activists decided to organise their rally after learning about Waythamoorthy’s visit.
The PKR crowd jeered as their Hindraf rivals cheered when he arrived.
PKR supporters tried to march to the Hindraf tent but were stopped by police in riot gear.
The commotion attracted scores of onlookers, causing severe traffic congestion in the area.
Both crowds dispersed peacefully after Waythamoorthy had left the place.
Waythamoorthy told reporters he had expected the hostility from PKR supporters because “they are sore losers”.
He was referring to his decision to back Barisan Nasional in the May 5 general election.
This morning, some PKR supporters held mock funeral rites for Waythamoorthy in the nearby residential area of Taman Bayam. They torched his portrait.
Surendran tried to distance himself from the hostility shown against Waythamoorthy in Paya Besar.
In a text message to FMT, he said it was not PKR that organised this afternoon’s rally, but the Kedah chapter of Hindraf, which has rejected the deal Waythamoorthy made with BN.
“As far as we are concerned, this is an internal Hidraf dispute,” he said.
He claimed he had stopped at the gathering as part of his campaign rounds.
By Athi Shankar LUNAS: PKR supporters tried to disrupt a Hindraf gathering here today, but police managed to prevent the situation from turning ugly.
The gathering was held about 500 metres away from a PKR rally in the predominantly Indian neighbourhood of Paya Besar. Police presence was heavy.
Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy arrived to speak at the function at 4.45pm, nearly an hour after the start of the PKR rally, where one of the speakers was N Surendran, the party’s candidate for Padang Serai.
Sources said PKR activists decided to organise their rally after learning about Waythamoorthy’s visit.
The PKR crowd jeered as their Hindraf rivals cheered when he arrived.
PKR supporters tried to march to the Hindraf tent but were stopped by police in riot gear.
The commotion attracted scores of onlookers, causing severe traffic congestion in the area.
Both crowds dispersed peacefully after Waythamoorthy had left the place.
Waythamoorthy told reporters he had expected the hostility from PKR supporters because “they are sore losers”.
He was referring to his decision to back Barisan Nasional in the May 5 general election.
This morning, some PKR supporters held mock funeral rites for Waythamoorthy in the nearby residential area of Taman Bayam. They torched his portrait.
Surendran tried to distance himself from the hostility shown against Waythamoorthy in Paya Besar.
In a text message to FMT, he said it was not PKR that organised this afternoon’s rally, but the Kedah chapter of Hindraf, which has rejected the deal Waythamoorthy made with BN.
“As far as we are concerned, this is an internal Hidraf dispute,” he said.
He claimed he had stopped at the gathering as part of his campaign rounds.
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