A statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Central park of California was vandalized and desecrated by unknown miscreants on Thursday. The 6-ft tall, 294 kg bronze statue of Gandhi which stood in the Central Park of the US city of Davis was severed, broken, and ripped from the base, triggering massive outrage among Indian-Americans, who have demanded that the officials investigate it as an act of hate crime.
The desecrated statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found by a park employee in the wee hours of January 27. The Indian-American community has taken exception to the vandalism has petitioned the local authorities to get a new statue erected at the same place. They have also urged that the culprits responsible for the act be booked. Investigators are unsure of when exactly the statue was torn down. It has been removed and stored in a safe place for evaluation. The incident took place just days before the 73rd death anniversary of the Father of the Nation. The statue of Mahatma Gandhi, which was donated by the Government of India to the city of Davis in 1916, was installed by the city council four years ago amidst protests from anti-India organizations.
India strongly condemns the malicious and despicable act against a universally respected icon of peace and justice, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday, adding that its embassy in Washington DC has taken up the matter with the US Dept of State for a thorough investigation and appropriate action.
