Washington: The desecration of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Washington, DC, is "appalling" as he fought for the values like peace, justice and freedom that the US represents, said White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany during a press briefing on Tuesday (local time).
Replying to a question on the recent incident wherein the statue of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced during a protest here against the recently enacted agricultural laws in India, McEnany said, "It is terrible."
She said, "No statue or memorial should be desecrated and certainly not that of Gandhi who fought for the values that America represents - of peace, justice and freedom."
Asserting that reputation of Mahatma Gandhi should be respected, she said: "Desecration is appalling to see. It is appalling that it happened more than once and we believe the reputation of Mahatma Gandhi should be respected, especially here in America's capital."
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Earlier on Tuesday, the State Department on Tuesday (local time) said that it takes "safety and security of foreign missions in the US very seriously" and it is in discussion with the Indian Embassy in connection with the incident that occurred during an anti-farm laws rally in Washington. "We are aware of recent protests in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. We take responsibility to provide for the safety and security of foreign missions in the US very seriously," a State Department spokesperson told reporters. "We are in discussion with the Indian Embassy about the recent incident," the spokesperson added.</p>
On December 12, posters and banners were seen pasted or propped up against the statue and a yellow flag was sighted draped over it. Some people were also seen waving "Khalistani" flags and raising pro-Khalistan slogans.