India on Tuesday condemned the theft of a Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne and said it has strongly raised the issue with Australian authorities to recover the missing figurine.
The bronze statue was allegedly removed from the Rowville community centre in Melbourne in the early hours of January 12, according to Australian media reports.
The Knox Crime Investigation Unit of Australia’s Victoria state is currently investigating the crime.
“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,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
“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,” he said.
The statue, weighing 420 kg, was cut from its base with an angle grinder, leaving only the feet. Local police suspect it was stolen by three unidentified offenders and have warned local scrap metal dealers to be vigilant about anyone attempting to sell the statue.
The statue was gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and was unveiled by former prime minister Scott Morrison in 2021 as a symbol of the strong ties between India and Australia.
Indian community leaders in Melbourne have expressed shock and called for stronger protection for such cultural sites.
The same statue has previously been targeted by vandals. Within a day of its inauguration in 2021, the statue was vandalised by unidentified persons, prompting condemnation in Australia and India.