Mahatma Gandhi's bust in Italy vandalised by pro-Khalistani elements; MEA responds sharply (WATCH)
Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Italy was vandalised by pro Khalistani elements, just before it was scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his G7 visit. The act has sparked outrage and condemnation across social media platforms.
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FollowA Mahatma Gandhi statue was vandalised on Tuesday in Italy by Khalistani extremists just hours after its inauguration. The accused also wrote controversial slogans related to Khalisatni terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The incident happened just days ahead of the G-7 summit in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also participate.
After the incident, the local authorities said that the area was cleaned up in "record time".
The vandalisation of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue by pro Khalistani elements has raised concerns about the rise of extremist ideologies and the need for greater vigilance against such acts of violence.
Speaking about the incident, Foreign Secretary Kwatra said that the Indian authorities raised the matter of Mahatma Gandhi's status being vandalised before Italian officials. "Taken up the issue of vandalisation of Mahatma Gandhi's statue with the Italian authorities. Necessary action has been taken," he said, while speaking to the media on Wednesday.
The 50th G7 Summit will be organised from June 14 in Italy. According to Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, PM Modi will be travelling to Italy's Apulia tomorrow to participate in the summit at the invite of Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned inauguration of the statue during his G7 visit was intended to symbolize the enduring legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the strong ties between India and Italy.
