Kula: Indira's case matters to me, 'armchair critic' Naran can help too

 

Kula: Indira's case matters to me, 'armchair critic' Naran can help too

Yiswaree Palansamy
Published: Nov 24, 2025 8:20 PM
Updated: 11:21 PM


Summary

• M Kulasegaran defends his long-standing, pro bono work for M Indira Gandhi, challenging Gerakan’s Naran Singh to contribute meaningfully instead of criticising.

• Deputy minister emphasises that some aspects of the case fall outside his governmental purview but pledged to continue assisting Indira.

• The dispute unfolds amid renewed pressure over the 16-year search for Indira’s daughter, following public rallies, court orders to widen the police search, and revelations that the fugitive father remains in the country.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M Kulasegaran today defended the work he has carried out for Hindu mother M Indira Gandhi, and took his Gerakan political critic to task, by questioning the latter's own contributions to the case.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Kulasegaran (above) said that he and his legal team members have been fighting Indira's case since 2009, and did it all pro bono.

"The issue is close to my heart. I have been fighting Indira's case since 2009, and all of the legal work was done pro bono because this mother was wronged on many levels, and she must be defended at all costs. My firm worked hard for years on Indira's case.

"I am grateful to lawyers like Shanmuga Kanesalingam, Fahri Azzat and Aston Paiva, who worked tirelessly without any monetary benefits in this case from the beginning.

"Will be good for Naran to do something rather than being an armchair critic," the Ipoh Barat MP said, in response to Gerakan leader, Naran Singh.

Naran yesterday threw down the gauntlet to Kulasegaran and challenged the DAP lawmaker to resign if he fails to resolve Indira’s case within the next six months.

Without mincing words, Naran told Malaysiakini that Kulasegaran has failed both as a member of the government administration and as a lawyer in the long-standing efforts to reunite Indira with her daughter, Prasana Diksa, over the past 16 years.

Responding to Kulasegaran's pledge to organise a meeting between Indira and Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail within the next three weeks, Naran dismissed it as “empty promises”.

M Indira Gandhi


However, Kulasegaran stressed that there are certain matters that do not fall squarely under his purview.

He, however, pledged to continue his fight for Indira.

"Critics must also now understand that certain matters do not come under me in government. Notwithstanding all these limitations, I will do my best for Indira," he added.

March for justice

On Saturday, Indira and her supporters marched from Sogo to Bukit Aman police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to hand over Prasana’s teddy bear to the IGP in a symbolic demand for her daughter’s return.

The group waited outside the police headquarters for nearly four hours, despite the IGP’s absence. They eventually dispersed after Kulasegaran - who had also joined the rally - assured them he would help Indira schedule a meeting with the IGP in the coming weeks.

Last week, the Ipoh High Court ordered police to widen their search for Indira's fugitive ex-husband, Riduan Abdullah, who has been accused of failing to return Prasana, rather than focusing solely on Kelantan.

M Indira Gandhi (middle) and her supporters marching down the streets of KL on Nov 22

Last month, Riduan was reportedly found to still be in the country after using his Budi95 petrol subsidy and Rahmah Necessities Aid (Sara) allowance.

This revelation reignited public interest in the case, prompting the Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat) and several NGOs to co-organise the justice march on Nov 22.