NEW DELHI, India — India on Tuesday condemned the vandalism and removal of a Mahatma Gandhi statue from the Australian Indian Community Center in Melbourne, saying it has raised the matter with Australian authorities and urged immediate action to recover the statue and hold those responsible accountable.
Responding to media queries, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government has strongly taken up the issue with Australia following reports of the incident.
“We strongly condemn the vandalization and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Center in Rowville, Melbourne by unidentified people. We have strongly raised the matter with Australian authorities and urged them to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable,” Jaiswal said.
The statement came after local media reports said a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Australian Indian Community Center in Rowville was stolen, sparking concern among the Indian-Australian community in Melbourne.
Victoria Police said officers from the Knox Crime Investigation Unit are investigating the theft, which is believed to have occurred in the early hours of January 12. Police said the statue was allegedly stolen by three unidentified individuals from the charity premises on Kingsley Close in Rowville at approximately 12:50 a.m. local time.
As part of the investigation, police have advised scrap metal dealers to remain alert for anyone attempting to sell a bronze statue and to report any suspicious activity immediately. Authorities have also appealed for information from the public, including CCTV footage or eyewitness accounts, and asked anyone with relevant details to contact Crime Stoppers.
The statue, gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, was inaugurated in 2021 by Australia’s then prime minister Scott Morrison and is regarded as having significant cultural, historical, and symbolic importance for the Indian community in Australia.
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