The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it has urged Australia to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and bring those responsible to justice
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India strongly objects to the act. File Pic/PTI
India on Tuesday strongly condemned the vandalisation and removal of a Mahatma Gandhi statue from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne and said the matter has been taken up with the Australian authorities, reported the IANS.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said that it has urged Australia to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and bring those responsible to justice.
Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India strongly objected to the act carried out by unidentified individuals at the community centre in Rowville, Melbourne.
“We strongly condemn the vandalisation and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne. We have raised the matter with the Australian authorities and urged them to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable,” he said, according to the IANS.
Police probe underway
The MEA statement followed after media reports stated that a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was reportedly stolen from the community centre, causing concern among the Indian-Australian community in Melbourne, as per the IANS.
According to Australia's Victoria Police, officers from the Knox Crime Investigation Unit are probing the incident, which allegedly took place on January 12.
Police believe that three unidentified individuals removed the statue from the charity premises on Kingsley Close, Rowville, at around 12.50 am local time.
A probe into the matter was ongoing.
Public appeal for information
As part of the investigation, the police have alerted scrap metal dealers to remain vigilant for any attempt to sell the bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi and to report any suspicious activity to the police immediately.
Members of the public who may have information, CCTV footage, or who witnessed the incident have been asked to contact Crime Stoppers, local media reported.
Statue’s cultural significance
The Mahatma Gandhi statue, gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), was inaugurated in 2021 by Australia’s then Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The statue holds cultural, historical and symbolic significance for the Indian community in Australia, according to the news agency.
(with IANS inputs)
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