The statue of Mahatma Gandhi which was gifted by India to the city of Davis, was vandalised at the city’s Central Park on January 28. Indian-Americans across the country have demanded that the officials investigate it as an incident of hate crime.
Unknown miscreants have vandalised, broken and ripped from the base a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in a park in the US state of California. The vandalised statue was found by a park employee in the early hours of morning of January 27.
“Seeing as it’s a cultural icon to a portion of the people in Davis, we are taking it very seriously”, said Deputy Chief Paul Doroshov of the Davis Police Department.
The City of Davis voted to go ahead with the installation of Gandhi statue four years ago amidst protests from anti-Gandhi and anti-India organisations. Since then Organisation for Minorities in India (OFMI) had launched a campaign to remove the Gandhi statue.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has demanded that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigate the incident as a hate crime.
India has strongly condemned the vandalisation of statue of Mahatma Gandhi, seeking appropriate action against those responsible for it.
“The government of India strongly condemns this malicious and despicable act against a universally respected icon of peace and justice,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Indian embassy in Washington has taken up the matter with the US Department of State for a thorough investigation into the incident and appropriate action against those responsible for it.
The MEA said the Mayor of Davis has deeply regretted the incident and informed that they have initiated an investigation.
