A DEPUTY minister has denied allegations that he was involved in a fracas outside the office of a Tamil daily in Kuala Lumpur today.

M. Saravanan, who is the deputy youth and sports minister, admitted he was at the Tamil Malar newspaper office on Jalan Ipoh, but said he was there to break up a scuffle between MIC Youth and staff of the newspaper.

Social media was abuzz with the incident, with many claiming that Saravanan was behind the commotion. Police reports have been lodged by both parties over the incident.

“I was there to ask both parties to disperse. There was no fight, just some pushing and no one went into the Tamil Malar office,” Saravanan told The Malaysian Insight.

The incident occurred just before noon when a group of MIC Youth members went to the daily’s office to question them on several articles which they had published.

“The office was closed. So the youths decided to have teh tarik at the stall next to the office.

“Then two staff from the daily came out and provoked the youths and a heated argument broke out,” Saravanan said, adding that he was in his office across the road when the incident occurred.

On hearing the commotion, Saravanan said he went and urged both parties to disperse.

“Both parties have lodged police reports. So we leave it to the police to investigate,” he said.

Saravanan also hit out at the Tamil for allegedly publishing baseless allegations against the Federal Territory MIC leadership.

“In the last two days, Tamil Malar had been writing baseless allegations about the Federal Territory MIC leadership and MIC properties.

“We raised the matter at our MIC meeting and all the issues raised by Tamil Malar were clarified.”

Meanwhile, Tamil Malar editor Navaneetha Krishnan said that MIC youth came this morning and assaulted two of their staff.

Navaneetha also said that Saravanan was present during the scuffle. – September 5, 2017.