Toronto: The statue of Mahatma Gandhi was vandalised at a university campus in Canada’s British Columbia province, days after another statue of the global peace icon was targeted in this country by Khalistan supporters.
In the latest incident, the statue placed at Peace Square on the Burnaby campus at Simon Fraser University was vandalised, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver said on Tuesday.
“We strongly condemn the heinous crime of vandalising the statue of the harbinger of peace Mahatma Gandhiji, @SFU Burnaby campus,” the Consulate said in a tweet.
“The Canadian authorities are urged to investigate the matter urgently and bring the perpetrators to justice swiftly @MEAIndia,” it added.
The incident comes after Khalistani supporters defaced and spray-painted a Mahatma Gandhi statue near the City Hall in the town of Hamilton in Canada’s Ontario province on March 23.
In July last year, a Mahatma Gandhi statue at a Vishnu temple in Richmond Hill, Canada was vandalised, drawing sharp condemnation from the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
“We are distressed at the desecration of the 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,” it said in a tweet at that time.
Canada has witnessed a surge in anti-India activities recently by Khalistan supporters who have vandalised some Hindu temples.
A Ram Mandir in Mississauga was defaced by “Khalistani extremists” with anti-India graffiti on February 13, drawing strong reaction from the Indian Consulate in Toronto.
“We strongly condemn the defacing of Ram Mandir in Mississauga with anti-India graffiti. We have requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action on perpetrators,” India’s Consulate in Toronto had tweeted. PTI VM AKJ.
