Exteremist Vandalism? Mahatma Gandhi 420 KG Bronze Statue Cut Into Pieces, Stolen In Melbourne As India Raises Strong Objection- WATCH

A 426-kilogram bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was allegedly cut from its base using an angle grinder and stolen from outside the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne, in a shocking overnight theft that has alarmed the Indian diaspora and drawn sharp concern from Indian authorities.

Victoria Police confirmed that three unidentified offenders targeted the statue around 12:50 am, severing it at the ankles and fleeing the scene in a white van. Only the feet of the statue were left behind, as seen in photos circulating on social media.

The statue, gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, and inaugurated on November 12, 2021 by former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, was regarded as a symbol of peace, non-violence, and Indo-Australian cultural ties.

How the Theft Was Carried Out

According to police and community members, the offenders wore balaclavas and used an angle grinder to detach the statue from its foundation. The act was partially captured on the building’s CCTV cameras.

Santosh Kumar, a committee member of the Australian Indian Community Charitable Trust, said the footage shows a white van arriving at the premises with masked individuals.

“We are sorry to see the statue of a national leader is gone. A white van came with people covered in balaclavas. All details have been passed to police,” he told Indian Link.

Victoria Police’s Knox Crime Investigation Unit is probing the case and has alerted scrap metal dealers across the region to report anyone attempting to sell large quantities of bronze.

A Statue Previously Targeted

This is not the first time the Gandhi statue has been attacked. Within 24 hours of its inauguration in 2021, it was vandalised by unknown individuals, triggering condemnation from both Indian and Australian leaders at the time.

The latest incident, however, marks a far more serious escalation with the statue being physically cut apart and removed.

Rising Anti-India Incidents in Australia

The theft comes amid a series of anti-India and anti-Hindu vandalism incidents in Australia in recent years, many of which police have linked to Khalistan-related extremist activity.

In July 2025, the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Boronia, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, was defaced with racist graffiti. Similar slurs were also found on nearby Asian-run restaurants, sparking community outrage and a police investigation.

Indian community leaders say the Gandhi statue theft cannot be seen in isolation given this backdrop of targeted attacks on Indian symbols, temples, and community spaces.

Is This Extremist Vandalism?

While Victoria Police have not officially attributed the theft to any group, the methodical nature of the act, the symbolic target, and the timing have raised suspicions within the community that the act could be more than mere metal theft.

Gandhi, as a global icon of peace and India’s most recognisable historical figure, represents a powerful symbol. Community members argue that cutting and stealing such a statue points toward deliberate symbolic vandalism, not random theft.

India Raises Strong Objection

The incident has reportedly drawn attention from Indian officials, who view the theft of a Gandhi statue gifted by the ICCR as an attack on a symbol of India’s heritage and soft diplomacy abroad.

The statue’s removal has deeply hurt members of the Indian diaspora in Melbourne, who describe it as an assault on cultural identity.

Police Investigation Underway

Victoria Police have urged anyone with information, CCTV footage, or knowledge of suspicious scrap metal sales to come forward. Investigators are examining CCTV visuals and tracking vehicle movements in the area at the time of the theft.

As the probe continues, the central question remains: Was this a calculated act of extremist vandalism targeting an Indian symbol, or a highly organised scrap metal theft?

For now, the Indian community in Australia waits for answers and justice for a statue that stood for peace, now cut into pieces.

ALSO READ: ‘They Have Rifles Worth Rs 20 Lakh Each’: Cash-Strapped, Crisis-Hit Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s Brutal, Bizzare Admission As Balochistan Rebels Rattle Shehbaz Sharif Government