Mahatma Gandhi Statue Stolen in Melbourne

A 426-kilogram bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was stolen from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne, in the early hours of January 12. Three unidentified offenders allegedly used an angle grinder to cut and remove the statue, which was a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and inaugurated by then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in November 2021. India, through its India===Ministry of External Affairs and spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, strongly condemned the theft and urged Australian authorities to recover the statue and hold the culprits accountable. Australia===Victoria Police has launched an investigation, reviewing CCTV footage and warning scrap metal dealers. The incident has raised concerns within the Indian-Australian community, especially given previous vandalism of the same statue and a rise in anti-India sentiment attributed to Khalistan movement-related extremists.