Terming the police action against ethnic Indians in Malaysia "barbaric", AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa on Wednesday demanded that the Centre take immediate steps to secure the release of members of the community arrested for taking part in a stir.

"Baton charging of Tamils, who were only fighting for their just rights and not providing treatment to the injured was a crime under the Commonwealth nations' rules," the former chief minister said in a statement.

Despite the fact that Tamils having boosted the Malaysian economy, they were being treated like "third-class citizens" in that country. Their traditional places of worship were also being demolished, the AIADMK leader alleged.

The police had used tear-gas and water canons to disperse a rally by over 10,000 ethnic Indians in Kuala Lumpur in support of a $four trillion lawsuit brought by the group blaming Britain for their economic woes.

Over 240 people were detained and the police said half of them had been released. The suit claimed that the community was facing discrimination and marginalisation to this day, an allegation denied by the Malaysian government.

"The Tamils had only taken out a rally to the British High Commission in that country, demanding equal opportunities in education, politics and in the country's economic programme," Jayalalithaa added.