KUALA LUMPUR: "I am not leaving. My position is not decided by the MIC Youth, but by the 3,600 MIC delegates nationwide."

This was the response from MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to calls by Kedah MIC Youth leaders for him to step down from the top party post.

"There will be a presidential election next March. The delegates will be voting again," said Samy Vellu, who has been at the party's helm for 24 years.

He was speaking after opening the 26th delegates' conference of Hindudharma, a Hindu-based non-governmental organisation, yesterday.

Samy Vellu said it was common practice to have one or two party members objecting to a party leader.

The former minister was commenting on the move by Kedah MIC Youth leaders, including its chief R. Nantha Kumar, who resigned en bloc from their posts three days ago as a sign of protest against Samy Vellu's leadership in the party.

They were also against Samy Vellu's call for MIC Youth national chief S. Vigneswaran to resign from his post because he had passed the 41-year age limit.

Samy Vellu said: "I am the one who put him (Nantha Kumar) there. But the Youth chief failed to keep his promise to have a proper organisation for Kedah (MIC) Youth."

On the reason for asking Vigneswaran to vacate his post, Samy Vellu said it was in accordance with the party's constitution.

"The ruling that states a youth chief has to resign at the age of 41 was made about three or four years ago."

Samy Vellu also said it was to give way for the younger generation to serve the party.

"There are a lot of young graduates who want to help the party but cannot do so as others are holding the post of Youth chief for too long.

"We are not asking those above 41 years old to get out. We want them. We still want them to go to the ground and help the community. But we have to give way to young blood."