The Indian government has condemned the theft of a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi from a community centre in Melbourne’s south-east last month, calling for the culprits to be held accountable.

Victoria police are investigating the theft from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville and have warned scrap metal dealers to be wary of people trying to sell the statue of the Indian independence leader.

On Tuesday night, the spokesperson for India’s ministry of external affairs, Randhir Jaiswa, said the government had raised the matter with Australia.

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“We strongly condemn the vandalization and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne by unidentified people,” he said in a statement posted to social media.

“We have strongly raised the matter with Australian authorities and urged them to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable.”

Vasan Srinivasan, chair of the Australian Indian Community Charitable Trust, which owns the centre, said the Indian government donated the statue to the centre in 2021.

He described Gandhi as an “icon of India” who believed in “people power”.

“We have lost it now. There is only one in Victoria,” he said.

While Australia’s Indian diaspora has been singled out by anti-immigration rallies, Srinivasan said he did not believe the theft was motivated by racism, noting there was no slogan or graffiti at the scene.

The statue was subjected to an attempted beheading in 2021 on the same day the then prime minister Scott Morrison unveiled the statue.

Srinivasan said the statue had also been vandalised with anti-Gandhi and anti-Indian graffiti in 2023 and 2024, with the centre later removing it.

Statues of Gandhi have also been the subject of controversy overseas, with some activists pointing to Gandhi’s “well-documented anti-black racism”.

Gandhi, who died in 1948, is recognised as a key leader in India’s independence movement, renowned for his philosophy of non-violent resistance.

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, condemned the theft.

“We stand with Victoria’s Indian community at this time,” she said in a statement.

“Victoria is a proudly multicultural state and there is zero tolerance for any acts that target and disrespect cultural monuments.”

Evan Mulholland, Victoria’s opposition spokesperson for multicultural affairs, expressed “deep support and solidarity” with the state’s Indian-Australian community.

“Our multicultural communities should feel safe and respected in every suburb of this state,” he said.

A Victoria police spokesperson said they believed three people were involved in the statue’s theft.

“Officers were told the offenders used an angle grinder to cut the statue,” the spokesperson said.

Victoria’s multicultural affairs minister has been contacted for comment.