Washington:
The White House on Monday condemned the desecration of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in a city in California.
“We certainly would have concern about the desecration of monuments of Gandhi,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her day-to-day news conference.
She was responding to a query on the desecration of the six-foot-tall, 650-pound (294 kg) bronze statue of Gandhi in the Central Park of the city of Davis in northern California. It was broken and ripped from the base by unknown accused not too long ago.
“Certainly we would condemn that desecration and watch it closely,” Psaki stated.
The city of Davis, in a statement, condemned the act of vandalism.
“We do not support any actions that include the destruction of property. We understand that our community reflects a diversity of views and values, but we expect that everyone will extend respect to each other and to shared spaces.
“We are committed to developing a city that is inclusive and lives up to our principles. We work diligently to guarantee the physical and psychological security of each resident. Acts of destruction are violent and shatter this security,” it said.
The city said it sympathises with those who are grieving the destruction of the statue and promised a thorough investigation and full accountability for those who committed this crime.
“We sympathise with these who have sincerely voiced their opposition to the statue and who really feel unheard. But we reiterate our belief that the answer to solving such variations is under no circumstances in violent acts but by means of compromise and dialogue. It is our sincere need that our neighborhood moves forward with peaceful and positive discourse and reconciliation,” the city stated in its statement.