India has demanded “immediate action” against unidentified people who vandalised a statue of independence hero Mahatma Gandhi in London.
The bronze statue in Tavistock Square, unveiled to the public in 1968, was built as a tribute to Gandhi’s years as a law student at University College London.
“This is not just vandalism, but a violent attack on the idea of non-violence,” the Indian High Commission said in a post on X, calling it “shameful”.
It’s not clear who is behind the graffiti – police are investigating but have yet to identify any person or group responsible. Cleaning teams were on site power-hosing the statue when the BBC visited.
The word “Terrorists” was spray-painted in black on the statue’s plinth, along with “Gandhi, Modi and Hindustani [Indians]”.
The High Commission didn’t share photos of the damage, but several accounts on X and Indian media had already shared images showing the graffiti.
The Metropolitan Police and Camden Council authorities had earlier told the Press Trust of India news agency that they were looking into reports of vandalism. The Metropolitan Police told the BBC it would issue a statement soon.
The Indian mission said that its team was also on site, “co-ordinating with authorities to restore the statue to its original dignity”.
The incident comes days before the 156th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth on 2 October, which is also observed as the International Day of Non-Violence.
The bronze statue, crafted by Polish sculptor Fredda Brilliant in 1968, shows Gandhi wearing robes and sitting cross-legged. An inscription on its plinth reads: Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948.
Gandhi’s birthday is usually commemorated at the statue with floral tributes and renditions of his favourite hymns.
This isn’t the first instance of Gandhi’s statue being defaced in the UK. In 2014, a statue in Leicester was vandalised with graffiti. In recent years, campaigns have been held in some parts of the UK asking for Gandhi’s statue to be removed.
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