Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 3: India on Tuesday strongly condemned the vandalisation and theft of a Mahatma Gandhi statue from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne and has raised the matter with the relevant Australian authorities.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urged Australia to take immediate action to recover the statue and hold those responsible accountable. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We strongly condemn the vandalization 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.”

Local media reported that the bronze statue, gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and inaugurated by former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2021, was stolen from the charity premises on Kingsley Close, Rowville, on January 12. The theft has caused concern in the Indian-Australian community.

Victoria Police confirmed that the Knox Crime Investigation Unit is probing the incident. Authorities have advised scrap metal dealers to remain alert for anyone attempting to sell the bronze statue and requested the public to share CCTV footage or any information with Crime Stoppers.

The statue holds significant cultural, historical, and symbolic importance for the Indian community in Australia, making its theft a matter of grave concern for both countries.