Mahatma Gandhi's statue desecrated in Jharkhand

A statue of Mahatma Gandhi, erected here in 1948, has been desecrated by unidentified miscreants 10 days after Bapu's death anniversary, officials said on Sunday.

The statue was built at the Gandhi Ghat by the bank of the Konar river where ashes of Gandhiji were immersed.

"The statue at Kumhartoli locality of the town has been damaged in the night of February 8. A new statue will be erected there soon, as the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is being celebrated," Hazaribag Deputy Commissioner Bhuvanesh Pratap Singh said.

He said an inquiry has been ordered to identify the culprits and a magistrate along with policemen deployed at the spot.

"A new statue will be placed there," Singh said.

An FIR has been filed against unknown persons in connection with the desecration, Superintendent of Police Mayur Patel said.

The deputy commissioner said he would request Hazaribag MP Jayant Sinha and local MLA Manish Jaiswal to provide funds for installing of CCTV at the site.