New Delhi: Cut from base, angle grinder used: How 426-kg Gandhi statue was stolen in Australia
A bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Australia’s Rowville, Melbourne was vandalised and stolen, leading India to raise the matter strongly with the country’s authorities.
The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the incident, urging the Australian authorities to recover the statue and hold those responsible for the incident accountable.
The 426-kg bronze statue, located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, was stolen in the early hours of January 12, Australia Today reported.
The statue was allegedly cut from its base using an angle grinder, leaving only the feet. According to the Australia Today report, the bronze statue was then allegedly cut into pieces and stolen.
The Mahatma Gandhi statue was a gift by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, and was inaugurated by former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison in 2021, as a symbol of strong ties between India and Australia.
However, the statue was targeted and vandalised in November, 2021 within a day of its inauguration, drawing condemnation in both India and Australia. However, no public arrests were made at that time, Australia Today reported.
The earlier instance of vandalism took place at a time of heightened tensions linked to Khalistan-related extremist activity, which had also previously targeted diplomatic missions, community spaces and symbols associated with India in multiple Western countries, according to the Australia Today report.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while responding to a query on the matter, 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.”
Jaiswal said that the MEA had “strongly raised the matter with Australian authorities and urged them to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable.”
Meanwhile, the Victoria Police Knox Crime Investigation Unit launched a probe into the incident. In a statement to Australia Today, the police said the statue was stolen by three unknown individuals from the charity premises on Kingsley Close, Rowville, at approximately 12.50 am.
Police has warned scrap metal dealers to remain alert for anyone who attempts to sell the bronze statue, and has further urged them to report any suspicious activity immediately.
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