Life-sized statue of Mahatma Gandhi vandalised in Australia; PM Morrison terms it 'disgraceful'
Melbourne, Nov 15: A life-sized bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi, gifted by the Indian government, has been vandalised here in an act Prime Minister Scott Morrison strongly condemned as "disgraceful", triggering shock and disappointment among the Indian-Australian community.
The incident happened hours after Prime Minister Morrison unveiled the statue at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville on Friday alongwith the Consul General of India Raj Kumar and other Australian leaders as part of a celebration of 75 years of India's Independence, The Age newspaper reported.
It is disgraceful and extremely disappointing to see this level of disrespect, Morrison was quoted as saying in the report on Sunday.
He said that attacks on cultural monuments would not be tolerated in a country which is the most successful multicultural and immigration nation in the world.
Whoever is responsible for this has shown great disrespect to the Australian Indian community and should be ashamed, he said.
The statue was gifted by the Indian government.
Victoria police said an unknown number of offenders used a power tool to decapitate the statue sometime between 5.30pm on Friday and 5.30pm on Saturday, according to ABC News.
The police said that the Knox Crime Investigation Unit detectives were investigating the matter and are appealing for witnesses to come forward with information.
The Indian community in the city expressed their shock over the incident, terming it as a "low act."
"The community is very shocked and sad. I don't (understand) why anyone would do such a low act of vandalism," Surya Prakash Soni, president of the Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria, was quoted as saying in the ABC report.
He said the Rowville centre was the first Indian community centre in the State of Victoria and had been established after 30 years of effort.
Australia India Community Charitable Trust chair Vasan Srinivasan said that it saddens him that someone tried to vandalise the statue within 24 hours of its unveiling.
"They were trying to cut the head off by grinding around it," he was quoted as saying by SBS News.
He said that there are almost 300,000 Indians living in the state of Victoria and "I never expected this thing could happen in Victoria.
Srinivasan said that police could not get any fingerprints because it was raining heavily throughout the day.
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EC meets representatives of political parties in West Bengal; maximum two-phase polling sought
Kolkata (PTI): Representatives of various political parties in West Bengal met the full bench of the Election Commission on Monday, and several of them sought a maximum of two-phase polling for the upcoming assembly elections, a senior official said.
Representatives of the TMC, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, AAP, NPP and Forward Bloc, among others, met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who was accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and West Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal at a hotel in New Town near Kolkata.
"A wide range of issues concerning the conduct of elections in the state were discussed. Several parties suggested that the elections be held in one or two phases and assured their cooperation in ensuring that the polls remain peaceful," the EC official said.
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The parties urged the EC to take stringent measures to curb the activities of anti-social elements and prevent intimidation of voters during the elections, he said.
"They emphasised the need for strong security arrangements, including deployment of Central Armed Police Forces in adequate numbers, to curb violence and ensure that voters can cast their ballots without fear," he said.
Some parties also raised concerns about the possible use of crude bombs, illegal firearms and money or muscle power during the elections, he added.
During the meeting, the CEC assured the parties that elections are conducted strictly in accordance with the law and all necessary steps would be taken to ensure a free, fair and transparent election in the state, the official said.
"The Election Commission has zero tolerance towards violence. We will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring impartial, transparent and peaceful elections," Kumar told the pre-poll consultation meeting, according to the official.
He also reiterated that the SIR exercise had been conducted in a transparent and unbiased manner, stating that Forms 6, 7 and 8 can still be filed for inclusion, deletion or correction of entries in the electoral rolls.
