Police today denied using force on members of an organisation who had gathered in front of the Sitiawan police station yesterday.

Perak police chief Zulkifli Abdullah said the group's claim that police had used force and racist words while preventing them from barging into the police station was baseless and aimed at tarnishing the image of the police force.

"I strongly refute the allegation," he said to reporters after a dialogue with Sime Darby Plantation management in Lumut today.

"As a professional law-enforcement agency, the police have been trained to face any eventuality, including pressure."

He was asked to comment on an illegal assembly by members of the Dindings Indians Association (DIA) in front of the police station when they wanted to lodge a report on the association's internal problems.

In the incident, police arrested two members of the group, Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran and his former political secretary P Sukumaran.

Zulkfili said those who made the allegation against the police should provide proof and the police were prepared to investigate and take action against the police personnel involved.

"This is a serious allegation which could cause anger, particularly among the Indian community," he noted.

He said based on the report received, police had acted in a proper manner by preventing the group who had illegally gathered in front of the police station from barging in as police had earlier asked their representatives to come into  the station to lodge their report.

- Bernama