New Delhi: India strongly condemned the theft of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in Melbourne on Tuesday. The Ministry of External Affairs formally took up the matter with the Australian authorities, urging them to take immediate action over the incident.

Although the exact sequence of events leading to the theft has not been ascertained yet, there have been speculations about the structure being cut from its base with an angle grinder, leaving only the feet.

The aforementioned bronze figurine of Gandhi was installed at the Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne, in 2021, and inaugurated by former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. According to reports, it was a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi.

"We strongly condemn the vandalization and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne, by unidentified people. We have strongly raised the matter with Australian authorities and urged them to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable," Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a statement on X.

According to the Australian media, the statue was stolen in the early hours of January 12. The Knox Crime Investigation Unit of Australia’s Victoria state is currently investigating the crime. The Australian police suspect three people were involved in the theft.