S. Paran Jothy, a Gerakan Party branch chairman, told Malay Mail that he had tried to intervene in the fracas to calm down tempers.

“I wanted to defuse the situation but the police were not cooperative.”

Traders and residents had joined a multitude of people to usher in Deepavali at Jalan Tun Sambanthan
on Friday evening when the night turned into a few hours of daylight with non-stop rockets and fireworks lighting the sky.

But the celebrations were marred with the arrest of six people, including a minor, for what police say was due to the release of firecrackers along Jalan Tun Sambanthan.

Following the arrests, some 60 people surrounded a police patrol car parked near the former Peking Hotel and demanded their release.

Paran, one of the residents who was in the thick of action, claimed he had tried to speak to the police to mediate between them and the crowd.

“Instead, I was told by a senior police officer that they would not back down. They were adamant in arresting them.”

He claimed the police caught the six while they were lighting the firecrackers and alleged that one of the plainclothed policeman even kicked a suspect.

Paran, who is also Hindu Serva Sangam coordinator, said it was not right for the police to wait and then act on the people who were letting off firecrackers to celebrate the Hindu festival.

“Why did they not go after those who were selling firecrackers in a big way? Why were only the small fry caught during police operations?”

Brij Jayaram Kathivavelu, a legal assistant and a Brickfields resident also present during the police action,
wondered why police had acted that night.

“Every time we have some kind of celebration, we seem to have problems with the police.”

He said that on the eve of the Tamil new year on April 13, the police tried to drown out with wailing
sirens the sound of drums and trumpets welcoming Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

He claimed three police patrol cars were packed at the pet shop opposite Joy supermarket, with their sirens on full blast, as Nurul and her entourage, heading the opposite direction, were being welcomed to the sounds of Indian drums and trumpets.

However, hair salon operator S. Shan admitted that this year’s celebrations might have gone overboard
with outsiders joining in.

“It is sort of an annual event. Every year, we have people letting of fireworks and firecrackers on the eve of Deepavali. But, this year, it was near madness.

“Some of the cars were trapped because merrymakers got on to the road along this whole stretch to let off firecrackers.”

Due to the overwhelming crowd that night, he said that he was only able to close his shop around 3am because of fantastic demand for his services.

Another video retailer, S. Peraisamy, who stood as an independent candidate in the 2008 elections in Lembah Pantai, said the police action that night gave a bad impression of the force.

“In the first place, why are traders allowed to sell firecrackers? They should go after everybody in possession of firecrackers.”

He said the act of giving 10 permits to sell firecrackers to traders who set up temporary stalls during the festivities made it hard to make them accountable as they were there only temporarily.

“They are the ones who sold the heavy-duty firecrackers,” he added.