Mahatma Gandhi Statue Vandalised In New York, Indian Diaspora Condemns 'Despicable Act'

A life-sized bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was vandalised in a New York City neighbourhood on Saturday, an act strongly condemned as 'despicable' by the Consulate General of India.

The incident took place early on Saturday, when the statue was defaced by some unknown persons, the Consulate General of India in New York said. ¡°The Consulate condemns this act of vandalism in the strongest terms,¡± it said, adding that the matter has been taken up with local authorities.

The 6-ft tall, 650-pound (294 kg) bronze statue of Gandhi, in the Central Park of the City of Davis in Northern California, had been sawed off at the ankles and half its face was severed and missing.

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"The Consulate condemns this act of vandalism in the strongest terms," it said, adding that the matter has been taken up with local authorities.

"The matter has also been taken up with the US State Department for immediate investigation and urged appropriate action against those responsible for this despicable act," it said.

Indian-American community shocked

The incident has shocked the Indian-American community here.

Leading diaspora organisation Federation of Indian Associations -- New York, New Jersey and Connecticut (FIA-NY NJ CT) strongly condemned the 'cowardly act' perpetrated against the statue of the Father of the Nation.

"It is a very sad moment to see somebody whose pervertedness is to the extent where they chose to deface a statue of a distinguished leader and personality who is known globally for the message of peace and non-violence," FIA Chairman Ankur Vaidya told PTI.

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Vaidya "very strongly condemned" this act and urged authorities to take strict action against those who carried out the vandalism.

He added that it must be ensured that the course of justice prevails in a rapid manner for this cowardly act.

"We personally, as individuals and as organisations, should write to the Mayor's Office to take the strictest action for those responsible for this kind of cowardly act of defacing the statue of our Father of the Nation," he said.

The statue was donated by the Gandhi Memorial International Foundation, and was dedicated on October 2, 1986 to mark the 117th birth anniversary of Gandhi.

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