Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) on Tuesday sought an FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) probe into the desecration of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in California.
Last week, a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Central Park of California’s Davis city was vandalized and desecrated by unknown miscreants. According to the Davis Police Department, the statue was ripped apart from the ankles and the top half of its head broken off. The city has registered a case and it is currently under investigation.
In a statement, Krishnamoorthi said: “I condemn this malicious act in the strongest terms, and I call upon the FBI to investigate it as a possible hate crime intended to intimidate Indian-Americans, among others. The desecration of a statue of Gandhi, who championed peace and non-violence and who continues to influence countless nonviolent struggles for justice including in America, serves as a sad reminder of how important his teachings remain.”
Several other lawmakers have also condemned the incident. In a separate statement, Rep Ami Bera (D-California) said he condemns the vandalization of the Gandhi statue and added that “the strength of our country lies in our diversity, but also in our ability to peacefully express our opinions and differences.”
On Monday, in a statement, Rep Ro Khanna (D-California) said that to see the desecration of the magnificent statue “only underscores the need for more people to study Gandhi’s teachings, not unilaterally erase him from the public discourse.” He called the incident a “shameful act.”
The 6-foot-3, 650-pound bronze Gandhi Statue of Peace has stood in Central Park in Davis since 2016 and was a gift from the Indian government.
