Mahatma Gandhi statue 'vandalised' at Hindu temple in Canada, India seeks probe

Ottawa [Canada], July 14

: A large statue of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced at a Hindu temple in Richmond Hill on Wednesday and Indian police say it's being investigated as a hate crime.

According to the York Regional police, the statue, which is five metres high, was vandalised at Vishnu Mandir in the area of Yonge Street and Garden Avenue.

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Meanwhile, India expressed its deep anguish over the desecration of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was seen as the main leader of India's independence movement in the 1940s. He was known for promoting non-violent civil disobedience in the campaign to free India from British rule. Indian Consulate General in Toronto tweeted, "We are distressed at the desecration of Mahatma Gandhi statue at Vishnu temple in Richmond Hill. This criminal, hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada. We are in contact with Canadian authorities to investigate this hate crime."

The high commission in Ottawa said India is deeply anguished by this hate crime that seeks to terrorize the Indian community. It also said India has approached the Canadian government to investigate and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice swiftly. The local police described this as hate and a "bias-motivated incident."  "Someone defaced the statue with 'graphic words,' including 'rapist' and 'Khalistan," said Constable Amy Boudreau, spokesperson for York Regional Police.

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"York Regional Police does not tolerate hate crime in any form," Boudreau said. -PTC News