Gandhi statue near London University vandalised, India responds

PTC News Desk: Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Tavistock Square, London was desecrated on Monday just days before the annual Gandhi Jayanti celebrations are scheduled to take place at the site on October 2.

The High Commission of India has strongly condemned the incident, calling it a "shameful act" and an assault on the legacy of nonviolence.

In a post on X, the Indian mission said the desecration was reported to the local authorities, even as its officials were on site to coordinate the restoration of the monument to its original state.

“This is not just vandalism, but a violent attack on the idea of non-violence, three days before the International Day of Non-Violence, and on the legacy of the Mahatma. We have taken this up strongly with local authorities for immediate action, and our team is already on site, coordinating with authorities to restore the statue to its original dignity,” it stated.

Gandhi Jayanti, which the United Nations observes as the International Day of Non-Violence, is marked every year on October 2 in London with floral tributes and renditions of Gandhiji’s favourite bhajans at his memorial.

The bronze statue, supported by the India League, was installed in 1968 in recognition of Mahatma Gandhi’s time as a law student at University College London nearby. The pedestal bears the inscription: “Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948.”

Local Camden Council authorities and the Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are investigating reports of vandalism.

“The High Commission of India in London is deeply saddened and strongly condemns the shameful act of vandalism of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Tavistock Square in London,” the Indian High Commission in London said in a statement on social media.