India condemns theft of Gandhi statue in Australia, demands action

India on Tuesday strongly condemned the vandalisation and removal of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in Australia and said it has taken up the matter with the Australian authorities, urging immediate action to recover the statue and bring the culprits to justice. Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Randhir Jaiswal said in reponse to media queries.The statue, weighing 426 kg, was cut from its base using an angle grinder and stolen from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville. The statue, a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), was inaugurated by former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2021.

Bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi -cut from the feet - was stolen from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne pic.twitter.com/PrWcDPl5cK

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This incident has raised concerns within the Indian-Australian community, especially since the statue was previously vandalised within 24 hours of its inauguration. According to 'The Australia Today', the bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi, located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne, was allegedly cut into pieces and stolen, triggering a police investigation and renewed concern within the Indian-Australian community.The theft has revived memories of an earlier attack on the same statue, which was vandalised within 24 hours of its inauguration in November 2021. 
Police believe the statue was stolen by three unknown offenders from the charity premises on Kingsley Close, Rowville.Victoria Police confirmed that officers from the Knox Crime Investigation Unit are investigating the incident, which allegedly occurred in the early hours of January 12.Police said three unknown offenders are believed to have used an angle grinder to cut and remove the statue from the premises on Kingsley Close, Rowville, at around 12.50 am. Police said investigations are ongoing and all lines of inquiry remain open, with authorities focusing on recovering the statue and identifying those responsible.