New Delhi [India], June 12 : India has taken up with Italian authorities the matter concerning the "vandalisation" of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi's statue by pro-Khalistani elements following reports in the media, the External Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday while noting that "a suitable rectification has taken place".
"We have seen the reports of that and we have taken it up with the Italian authorities. We understand that a suitable rectification has already taken place," Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on Wednesday at a special briefing responding to questions.
This is not the first time that Mahatma Gandhi's statue was vandalised in a foreign country. Last year, in a similar incident, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was vandalised on the Burnaby campus of Simon Fraser University in Canada's British Columbia province in March.
This was the second such incident reported in Canada. The first incident was reported near the City Hall in the town of Hamilton, in the province of Ontario.
A similar incident of vandalising of a Mahatma Gandhi statue was reported at Vishnu Mandir in the area of Yonge Street and Garden Avenue in Canada in July 2022, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported citing York Regional Police.
In January 2021, Mahatma Gandhi's statue was vandalised in Davis, California, US. It was a gift to the City of Davis by the Government of India in 2016.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra also said that PM Modi's participation in the G7 summit would provide an opportunity to follow up on the outcomes of the G20 summit held under India's presidency last year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to leave for Italy on Thursday) to participate in the 50th G7 Summit, scheduled on June 13 and 14. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni has invited PM Modi to the G7 Outreach Summit in Puglia on June 14.
Addressing a special briefing on PM Modi's upcoming visit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, "At the invitation of Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Apulia, Italy tomorrow to participate in the 50th G7 Summit which is to be held there on June 14 where India has been invited as an Outreach Country.
"Notably, this will mark Modi's first overseas travel after assuming office in his third consecutive term as Prime Minister.
The G7 summit is to be held in Italy from June 13 to 15.
Italy is the Chair of G7 this year and is hosting the Summit of the informal grouping of seven of the world's advanced economies which also includes Canada, France, Germany Japan the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the European Union.
This will be India's eleventh participation in the G7 summit and PM Modi's fifth consecutive participation in the G7 summit.
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