The Victoria police of Australia has appealed to people for any clue or picture or information after unknown assailants attempted to decapitate a statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
The life-sized bronze statue, a gift from India, was unveiled by Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Australian Indian Community Centre in the Melbourne suburb of Rowville just one day earlier.
The statue was targeted by an unidentified vandal with a power tool between Friday and Saturday, Victoria Police told ABC news. According to the video clips shared on the social media, it was seen that the marks of an attempt was made to cut the head off by grinding around it.
Mahatma Gandhi statue vandalised a day after #Australia PM #ScottMorrison unveils the bronze in #Victoria.
PM @ScottMorrisonMP says those responsible for the #vandalism should be ashamed.The #statue was gifted by the #Indian government.#Melbourneprotest #melbourne pic.twitter.com/opQVUr6II6
— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) November 14, 2021
"Australia is the most successful multicultural nation in the world and attacks on cultural monuments will not be tolerated. It is disgraceful and extremely disappointing to see this level of disrespect,” Morrison was quoted as saying by the ABC news of Australia.
The assistant minister for customs, community safety and multicultural affairs Jason Wood, who was also present at the unveiling, called the vandalising of the statue a "disgraceful act."
Though no one has taken the responsibility, members of the Indian community in the spirit of the Mahatma’s philosophy, said the person or persons behind the vandalism needed help.
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