US 'appalled' by defacing of Gandhi statue in Washington

The United States has said it was “appalled” at possible damage sustained by a Mahatma Gandhi statue in Washington DC amid protests at the weekend.  

Speaking on Tuesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the situation was “terrible” and the Trump administration condemned protesters’ actions against the statue, located outside the Indian Embassy.

“It’s terrible. No statue or memorial should be desecrated, and certainly not like one of Gandhi, who really thought for the values that America represents. Peace, justice and freedom,” said Ms McEnany.  

“So that desecration is appalling to see. It’s appalling that it’s happened more than once, and we believe that the reputation of Mahatma Gandhi should be respected, especially here in America’s capital,” she then added, in reference to a previous incident that involved the same statue.  

Protesters were said to have damaged the statue on Saturday, as crowds descended on the US capital to protest against controversial agricultural laws passed in India.

In a statement to ANI News on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the State Department said it was aware that protests had taken place at the weekend, and that “We take responsibility to provide for the safety and security of foreign missions in the US very seriously".

"We are in discussion with the Indian Embassy about the recent incident," the spokesperson added.

The Indian Embassy said in a statement released on Tuesday that it had asked the State Department to investigate possible damage caused to the Gandhi statue.

Those associated with the Khalistani-Sikh separatist movement were to blame, said the embassy. Although this has not been confirmed.

"The Embassy strongly condemns this mischievous act by hooligans masquerading as protesters against the universally respected icon of peace and justice,” said the statement.

“The Embassy has lodged a strong protest with US law enforcement agencies and has also taken up the matter with the US Department of State for an early investigation and action against the culprits under the applicable law," the statement added.

Indian farmers have protested in their thousands against the new agricultural laws, with farmers blocking five highways leading into the country’s capital, New Delhi, this weekend.

They have argued that recent agricultural reforms will devastate the industry, and decrease crop prices, under plans drawn-up by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

The Gandhi statue in Washington DC was among several memorials and monuments that were defaced several months ago, amid protests against the Minneapolis killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man. 

It has stood at the centre of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza since 2000,  in honour of Gandhi’s leadership of Indian independence from Great Britain in 1947.