In the newest in a sequence of such incidents, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Canada has been defaced and spraypainted with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti.

The vandalism occurred within the early hours of Thursday close to the City Hall within the city of Hamilton, within the province of Ontario. The statue of the Mahatma has been at that location since 2012.

According to a video of the vandalism, the six-foot tall bronze statue, which had been gifted by the Indian Government, was doused with paint and graffiti written across the base of the statue, together with abuse of Gandhi himself, and an assault on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A Khalistan flag was additionally hooked up to the strolling stick held by the statue.

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The vandalism was found within the early of the morning and metropolis authorities labored rapidly to wash the statue and the graffiti. Hamilton Police confirmed to the Hindustan Times that they acquired a grievance on this regard on Thursday afternoon and have been investigating.

In February, a Hindu temple within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) was desecrated, with anti-India and pro-Khalistan graffiti spraypainted on its again wall, the fourth such incident of that nature inside a interval of eight months. The goal of the vandalism was the Shri Ram Mandir within the city of Mississauga within the GTA.

On January 30, the Gauri Shankar Mandir in Brampton was equally desecrated. Prior to that, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, situated on the Vishnu Mandir in Richmond Hill, was defaced in July final yr. The 20-foot tall bronze statue was located within the temple’s Peace Park. Weeks later, in September, an episode of such vandalisation occurred on the entrance entrance to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto.

None of those incidents have to date resulted in any arrests. While they’ve been linked by some to the so-called Punjab Referendum being organized by the secessionist group, Sikhs for Justice or SFJ, Canadian legislation enforcement has but to determine that connection.

As with earlier episodes, a video of the incident, apparently taken through the night time when the vandalisation occurred, was shared on social media by some apparently pro-Pakistan handles.

The September incident had led to India issuing a proper diplomatic communique, known as a word verbale to Global Affairs Canada, the nation’s overseas ministry.

Even that wasn’t the primary time a statue of the Mahatma has been focused in North America. In February final yr, such a statue was decapitated in New York, whereas in January 2021, one other was vandalised in Davis, California.