White House condemns desecration of Gandhi statue in Davis

The White House condemns the recent vandalism of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in California's Davis, said Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday (local time).

"We would certainly have concerns about the desecration of monuments of (Mahatma) Gandhi. We would condemn the desecration and watch it closely," Psaki said during a briefing on Monday.

Earlier this week, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Central Park of California's Davis city was vandalised and desecrated by unknown miscreants.

In a statement by Deputy Chief Paul Doroshov of the Davis Police Department, the statue, broken off at the ankles and the top half of its head broken off, was found by a park worker around 9 am (local time) on Wednesday.

In protest against the vandalism of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in California's Davis, Indian Americans on Sunday held a vigil and demanded reinstallation of the statue.

On Sunday afternoon, the vigil was also met with protests and outrage from some, who accused Gandhi of genocide, racism, and molestation.

"Pro-Khalistan radical groups from neighbouring towns outside of Davis tried to intimidate the attendees in an attempt to stop the event and tried to assault a lady speaker at the event," Bhaskar Vempati, President of the Indian Association of Sacramento, one of the cohosts of the event told .

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has separately taken up the matter with the City of Davis and local law enforcement authorities.

The 6-foot-3, 650-pound bronze Gandhi Statue of Peace has stood in the park since 2016. It was a gift from the Government of India.

( With inputs from ANI )