Hey Ram! Bapu 'killed' again, this time in Gujarat

Amreli: A statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the banks of Hari Krishna Lake in Gujarat's Amreli district was vandalised by unidentified persons late Friday night, the police said.

The statue was installed in a garden near the lake in 2018.

The lake was built by the Dholakiya Foundation of Surat-based diamond baron Savjibhai Dholakiya.

It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017, an official said.

"The incident (vandalising) happened last night. Efforts are on to identify and nab the culprits. This may be the work of people unhappy with construction of the lake, or some anti-social elements," said Sub-Inspector Y.P. Gohil of Lathi police station.

India observes Oct. 2 not only as Gandhi's birthday but also as International Day of Non-Violence, the ideal that Gandhi fought for throughout his life.

On October 2, last year, PM Modi paid tribute to the "Father of the Nation" Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th anniversary.

Various programmes would be organised for one full year by the Central government in various States .

Gandhi was born in 1869 in Gujarati Hindu Modh Baniya family in Porbandar. He played a key role in India's fight for independence.

He was assassinated by a Hindu radical on Jan. 30, 1948, just a few months after he led India to freedom from British rule through a non-violent struggle.

India celebrated the anniversary by organising cleanliness drives, film screenings and making a giant spinning wheel made out of plastic waste.

Government officials erected a 1,650 kg spinning wheel, an important symbol associated with Gandhi, made entirely out of plastic waste.

Gandhi used a spinning wheel to spin his own cloth in a gesture of independence and Indian self sufficiency.