New Delhi | India on Tuesday strongly condemned the theft of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne and demanded immediate action to recover it.

The bronze statue was allegedly removed from the community centre at Rowville in Melbourne in the early hours of January 12, according Australian media.

"We strongly condemn the vandalisation and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne, by unidentified people," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

"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," he said.

The statue weighing 420 kg was cut from its base with a grinder, leaving only the feet, according to media reports.

The statue was gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and was unveiled by former prime minister Scott Morrison in 2021 as a symbol of the strong ties between India and Australia.