India has demanded “immediate action” against unidentified people who vandalised a statue of independence hero Mahatma Gandhi in London.

The bronze statue in Tavistock Square, unveiled to the public in 1968, was built as a tribute to Gandhi’s years as a law student at University College London.

“This is not just vandalism, but a violent attack on the idea of non-violence,” the Indian High Commission said in a post on X, calling it “shameful”.

Officials in London have said that they are looking into reports about the act but haven’t identified any person or group responsible for it.

The High Commission didn’t share photos of the exact damage, but several accounts on X and Indian media have shared images showing the word “Terrorists” spray-painted in black on the statue’s plinth, along with Gandhi, Modi and Hindustani (Indians).

An official from the Camden Council told the BBC that cleaning teams had been sent to the site. The Metropolitan Police said it would issue a statement soon.

The incident comes days before Gandhi’s 156th birth anniversary on 2 October, which is also observed as the International Day of Non-Violence

The Indian mission said that its team was also on the site, “coordinating with authorities to restore the statue to its original dignity”.

The Metropolitan Police and Camden Council authorities told the Press Trust of India news agency that they were looking into the reports of vandalism.

The bronze statue, crafted by Polish sculptor Fredda Brilliant, shows Gandhi wearing robes and sitting cross-legged. An inscription on its plinth reads: Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948.

Gandhi’s birthday is usually commemorated at the statue with floral tributes and renditions of his favourite hymns.

This isn’t the first instance of Gandhi’s statue being defaced in the UK. In 2014, a statue in Leicester was vandalised with graffiti. In recent years, campaigns have been held in some parts of the UK asking for Gandhi’s statue to be removed.

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