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The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday strongly condemned the vandalism and theft of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in Rowville, Melbourne, and called for swift action against those responsible.
“We strongly condemn the vandalisation and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne, by unidentified people,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a media query.
He said India has “raised the matter strongly with Australian authorities” and urged immediate steps to recover the statue and bring the culprits to justice.
According to Australia Today, the bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was stolen in the early hours of January 12 from outside the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville. The 426-kg statue was a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, and was inaugurated in 2021 by then Australian prime minister Scott Morrison.
The Victoria Police’s Knox Crime Investigation Unit has launched an investigation into the theft, which has triggered concern within Melbourne’s Indian-Australian community.
Police said three unidentified individuals removed the statue from the charity premises on Kingsley Close at around 12.50 am. As the probe continues, scrap metal dealers have been alerted and urged to report any suspicious attempts to sell a bronze statue.
Santosh Kumar, a committee member of the Australian Indian Community Charitable Trust, told CNBC TV18 that the incident was partially captured on CCTV and was reported the following day.
“We are sorry to see that the statue of a national leader is gone. A white van arrived with people wearing balaclavas. Details have been passed on to the police,” Kumar said.
Senior Opposition leaders in Victoria have also condemned the incident. Evan Mulholland, the shadow minister for multicultural and multifaith affairs, described the theft as deeply distressing and said it undermines the sense of safety that multicultural communities should feel, Australia Today reported.
“We strongly condemn the vandalisation and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne, by unidentified people,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a media query.
Our response to media queries regarding Mahatma Gandhi statue in Australia ⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/CsmoYb9B1B pic.twitter.com/uL2jyDWPaw
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) February 3, 2026
He said India has “raised the matter strongly with Australian authorities” and urged immediate steps to recover the statue and bring the culprits to justice.
426-kg bronze Gandhi statue stolen
According to Australia Today, the bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was stolen in the early hours of January 12 from outside the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville. The 426-kg statue was a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, and was inaugurated in 2021 by then Australian prime minister Scott Morrison.
The Victoria Police’s Knox Crime Investigation Unit has launched an investigation into the theft, which has triggered concern within Melbourne’s Indian-Australian community.
Police said three unidentified individuals removed the statue from the charity premises on Kingsley Close at around 12.50 am. As the probe continues, scrap metal dealers have been alerted and urged to report any suspicious attempts to sell a bronze statue.
CCTV footage and community response
Santosh Kumar, a committee member of the Australian Indian Community Charitable Trust, told CNBC TV18 that the incident was partially captured on CCTV and was reported the following day.
“We are sorry to see that the statue of a national leader is gone. A white van arrived with people wearing balaclavas. Details have been passed on to the police,” Kumar said.
Senior Opposition leaders in Victoria have also condemned the incident. Evan Mulholland, the shadow minister for multicultural and multifaith affairs, described the theft as deeply distressing and said it undermines the sense of safety that multicultural communities should feel, Australia Today reported.
