India expressed strong condemnation for the vandalization and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne by unidentified individuals. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has raised the issue with Australian authorities, urging immediate action to locate the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable.
Responding to media inquiries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized India’s firm disapproval of the incident. Reports from local media highlighted the theft of the bronze statue, causing distress within the Indian Australian community in Melbourne. The Victoria Police, through the Police Knox Crime Investigation Unit, is actively investigating the theft that occurred on January 12 at the charity premises in Rowville.
Authorities are conducting a thorough probe into the theft, believed to have been carried out by three unknown individuals. The police have alerted scrap metal dealers to be vigilant for anyone attempting to sell the stolen bronze statue and to report any suspicious activities promptly. Additionally, individuals with relevant information, CCTV footage, or who witnessed the incident have been urged to contact Crime Stoppers as part of the ongoing investigation.
The Mahatma Gandhi statue, a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), was unveiled in 2021 by Australia’s former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. This statue holds significant cultural, historical, and symbolic value for the Indian community in Australia.
