India on Saturday condemned the vandalising of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in California by unidentified individuals, the second such incident in the US in little more than a month, and sought a thorough investigation into the matter. The statue in the city of Davis in California state, which was gifted by the Indian government in 2016, was vandalised by “unknown persons” on January 28, the external affairs ministry said.

The six-foot bronze statue was broken and ripped from its base inside a park, outraging Indian-Americans across the US. The statue was apparently sawed off at the ankles and half the face was severed and missing when it was found by a park employee.

“The government of India strongly condemns this malicious and despicable act against a universally respected icon of peace and justice,” the ministry said in a statement. The Indian embassy in Washington took up the issue with the US state department and called for a “thorough investigation into the incident and appropriate action against those responsible for this despicable act”.

India’s consulate in San Francisco in California state separately took up the matter with the city of Davis and local law enforcement authorities, who initiated an investigation. The mayor of Davis “deeply regretted the incident” and said local authorities had initiated an investigation, the statement said.

It is to be mentioned that, on December 12, a group of pro-Khalistan activists desecrated Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza in front of the Indian embassy in Washington, during a demonstration in support of farmers protesting against the three farm laws in India. A poster and a Khalistan flag were placed on the statue.