A statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Italy was vandalised by pro-Khalistani elements just hours before its scheduled inauguration by Prime Minister Modi. Controversial slogans related to Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar were inscribed at the base of the bust. The local authorities swiftly cleaned up the area following the incident.
The 50th G7 Summit is set to take place from June 13 to 15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Apulia, Italy, to attend the summit, following an invitation from Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The inauguration of the statue was planned during PM Modi’s visit.
Commenting on the incident, Foreign Secretary Kwatra said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had raised the issue of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue being vandalised, with Italian officials. “Taken up the issue of vandalisation of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue with the Italian authorities. Necessary action has been taken,” he said while conversing with the media on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Canada was defaced and spray-painted with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti. The vandalism took place in the early morning near City Hall in Hamilton, Ontario. The statue, which has been at this location since 2012, was targeted in the incident.
Notably, the visit to Italy marks PM Modi’s first international travel after taking office for his third consecutive term as Prime Minister. This will be India’s eleventh participation and PM Modi’s fifth consecutive appearance at the G7 summit. The summit is an informal gathering of seven of the world’s advanced economies, including Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the European Union.
