KLANG: The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) that signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Barisan Nasional recently is not the same organisation that organised the 2007 mammoth rally.
Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar said signing an MoU was never a part of the Hindraf agenda and it seriously contravened the movement’s aspirations.
Uthayakumar’s brother Waythamoorthy had inked the memorandum with Barisan Nasional earlier this month and urged Indians to throw their support behind the ruling coalition.
Uthayakumar said his brother’s conduct was an act of betrayal.
“He has pledged free votes in exchange for empty promises,” Uthayakumar, who is contesting for the Kota Raja parliamentary and Sri Andalas state seats as an independent, told a press conference Saturday.
He said the original Hindraf had convened a supreme council meeting on Thursday and unanimously decided to sack Waythamoorthy from the movement.
“Waytha has deviated from Hindraf’s 18-point demands which were never about pledging support to either Barisan or Pakatan.
“We disassociate ourselves from his action,” said Uthayakumar.
He said Waythamoorthy’s conduct had earned the wrath of those who had supported Hindraf in its quest to better the lives of marginalised Indians.
“I can still walk the streets today but I don’t think that Waythamoorthy or even Thanenthiran (former Hindraf national coordinator Datuk R.S. Thanenthiran) can walk the streets due to their betrayal of the people,” Uthayakumar claimed.
(Thanenthiran was the first to leave Hindraf and form the Barisan-friendly Malaysian Makkal Sakthi party.)
He said Waythamoorthy was only involved in Hindraf activities during the 2007 rally and cannot be regarded as the movement’s leader.
“I went to jail and he ran away. Now, who is the Hindraf leader?” asked Uthayakumar adding that there was only one Hindraf and it was the movement led by him and not the one recently registered by his brother.
The Registrar of Societies had approved the registration tendered in by Waythamoorthy for Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia on March 8.
THE STAR ONLINE
