New Delhi: India on Tuesday condemned the vandalisation and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne by unidentified individuals and said it has raised the matter with the relevant Australian authorities.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India has urged Australia to take “immediate action” to locate the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, responding to media queries, said, “We strongly condemn the vandalisation and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne by unidentified people. We have strongly raised the matter with Australian authorities and urged them to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable.”
The statement comes after local media reports claimed that the bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville was stolen, sparking concern among the Indian Australian community in Melbourne.
Victoria Police on Monday confirmed that officers from the Knox Crime Investigation Unit are investigating the theft, which allegedly took place on January 12. Police believe the statue was stolen by three unknown individuals from the charity premises on Kingsley Close in Rowville at approximately 12:50 am (local time), according to The Australia Today.
Authorities have advised scrap metal dealers to be vigilant for anyone attempting to sell the bronze statue and report any suspicious activity immediately. Anyone with information, CCTV footage, or who witnessed the incident has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers, the media outlet reported.
The Mahatma Gandhi statue, gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), was inaugurated by Australia’s then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2021. It holds cultural, historical, and symbolic significance for the Indian community in Australia.
With IANS inputs