Mahatma Gandhi's statue vandalised in New York
New York, Feb 5: A life-sized bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was vandalised in a New York City neighbourhood on Saturday, an act strongly condemned as 'despicable' by the Consulate General of India here.
The 8-foot-high statue, located in Manhattan's Union Square, was defaced by some unknown persons, the Consulate General of India said.
The Consulate condemns this act of vandalism in the strongest terms, it said, adding that the matter has been taken up with local authorities.
The matter has also been taken up with the US State Department for immediate investigation and urged appropriate action against those responsible for this despicable act, it said.
The incident has shocked the Indian-American community here.
The statue was donated by the Gandhi Memorial International Foundation, and was dedicated on October 2, 1986 to mark the 117th birth anniversary of Gandhi.
American civil rights leader Bayard Rustin had delivered a keynote speech at the ceremony.
Incidentally, the statue was removed in 2001, conserved and reinstalled in a landscape garden area in 2002.
This is not the first time a statue of Gandhi has been desecrated in the US.
In January last year, unknown miscreants had vandalised, broken and ripped from the base a statue of Gandhi in a park in the US state of California, evoking a strong response from India which sought a thorough investigation and appropriate action against those responsible for the "despicable act."
The 6-ft tall, 650-pound (294 kg) bronze statue of Gandhi, in the Central Park of the City of Davis in Northern California, had been sawed off at the ankles and half its face was severed and missing.
The vandalised statue of Gandhi was found by a park employee in the early hours of morning of January 27, 2021, the police had said.
In December 2020, Khalistani-supporters had desecrated a Gandhi statue in Washington, DC in front of the Indian Embassy.
The then White House Press Secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, had termed the incident as terrible .
No statue or memorial should be desecrated and certainly not one like that of Gandhi, who really fought for the values that America represents of peace, justice, and freedom.
It is appalling that it has happened more than once and we believe the reputation of Mahatma Gandhi should be respected, especially here in America's capital, she had said.
Also in June 2020, some unknown miscreants vandalised the statue of Gandhi outside the Indian embassy in the US with graffiti and spray painting, prompting the mission to register a complaint with the local law enforcement agencies.
Vandalism of the statue of the apostle of peace happened during the week of nationwide protests against the custodial killing of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
On Mahatma Gandhi statue in New York City being defaced:@MEAIndia @IndianEmbassyUS @DrSJaishankar @NYCMayor @NYPDPC @globalnyc pic.twitter.com/Sr0Q2RQIWn
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) February 5, 2022
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Andhra CM promises housing for all poor by 2029
Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said his government will ensure housing for all the poor before 2029 and allocate housing plots for those who do not own land.
Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister urged eligible beneficiaries who have not received a house to apply, assuring that both the central and state governments would take the responsibility for providing housing to all.
“We will not only build houses for all the poor before 2029 but also provide housing plots to landless people,” said Naidu, adding that the government intends to build houses for all the poor.
Noting that the state government aims to allot housing plots to all before 2029, Naidu said it will build apartments if housing plots were not available.
Ahead of Ugadi festival in 2026, the CM said the government will organise three lakh house warming ceremonies under welfare housing, vowing to organise 10 lakh such events within 2026.
On agriculture, Naidu said the southern state accounts for 10 percent of agricultural production at the national level.
He outlined a five-pronged approach of water security, demand-driven crops, food processing, marketing and government support to develop agriculture.
In fiscal 2025 – 26, the CM said Rs 13,772 crore has been earmarked for free power to agriculture, and a financial aid of Rs 20,000 per annum is being given to farmers under Annadata Sukhibava welfare scheme.
According to him, only Rs 7,500 was given to farmers during the previous YSRCP regime. He highlighted that the TDP-led NDA government is offering more than double that amount.
The TDP supremo also announced plans to expand AI agronomist and farm mechanisation services on a large-scale.
Noting that Rs 14,230 crore investments have flowed into the food processing sector, Naidu said the government is concentrating on this front.
Observing that 15 lakh acres are under natural farming in 8,168 villages, he said the target is to expand it to 50 lakh acres.
Besides setting up a large cocoa city near Eluru, he said the government will provide power at Rs 1.5 per unit to aquaculture, among other initiatives.
Assuring continued support, Naidu said his government would stand by farmers in all circumstances and also extend assistance to tenant farmers.
Meanwhile, Irrigation Minister N Rama Naidu informed the House that water would be supplied up to Anakapalli by June 2026 through Polavaram left main canal.
He also said that the government has allocated Rs 600 crore in FY27 budget for Sujala Sravanti project in North Andhra.
The House was later adjourned till Wednesday, March 4.
