Controversial statue of Gandhi ripped down

The 6-foot tall, bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi, in the Central Park of the City of Davis in northern California, was apparently sawed off at the ankles, with half the face was severed and missing when it was found by a park employee in the early hours of January 27.

The statue, which was gifted by the Indian government to the city of Davis, was installed by the city council four years ago amidst protests from Sikh residents and activists, who have accused Gandhi of genocide, racism and molestation. Organisation for Minorities in India (OFMI), spearheaded these protests and opposed the installation of the statue. The City of Davis had however voted to go ahead with the installation. Since then OFMI had launched a campaign to remove the Gandhi statue.

Appalled at the desecration, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has demanded that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigate the incident as a hate crime. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the U.S. Department of State has conveyed that the act of vandalism is unacceptable and expressed the hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice as quickly as possible.