DAVIS, Calif. — The Government of India and the City of Davis have both denounced the vandalism of a Mahatma Gandhi statue located in one of the city’s parks.
The statue, which was gifted in 2016 to the City of Davis by the Government of India, was discovered Thursday morning to have been cut down from its perch in Central Park with part of its head sawed off, according to a spokesperson with the Davis Police Department.
In a statement released by the Indian government’s Ministry of External Affairs, the government wrote that it “strongly condemns this malicious and despicable act against a universally respected icon of peace and justice” and has called upon the U.S. Department of State to investigate the incident.
The City of Davis released a joint statement condemning the vandalism and called on the community to address grievances and differences of opinion through dialogue and compromise. The city also promised “a thorough investigation and full accountability” of whoever perpetrated the crime.
"We sympathize with those who are grieving the destruction of the statue," the city wrote, adding they also "sympathize with those who have sincerely voiced their opposition to the statue and who feel unheard. But we reiterate our belief that the solution to solving such differences is never in violent acts but through compromise and dialogue."
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