Mahatma Gandhi's ashes allegedly stolen as his portrait defaced with "traitor" graffiti

[jpak]

Source: CBS News

New Delhi — As India celebrated the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi this week, world leaders paid tribute to the icon of the country's non-violent battle for independence, but India's lingering sectarian tension was on display. A portrait of the man who helped bridge the divide between India's Hindus and Muslims was defaced at a memorial in the center of the vast country on Wednesday. An urn containing some of Ghandi's ashes was also allegedly stolen from the site.


Unknown assailants, now the subject of a police investigation, wrote "deshdrohi" (traitor) on Gandhi's portrait at the Bapu Bhawan memorial in Madhya Pradesh state's Rewa district. The regional police confirmed to CBS News that they were investigating the defacing of Gandhi's portrait.

"We have filed a case against unknown persons; the investigations are underway but there is no progress so far," police superintendent Abid Khan told CBS News.

Gurmeet Singh Mangu, a leader of the Indian National Congress party who filed the police complaint, has claimed that an urn containing Gandhi's ashes was also stolen, but the police didn't appear convinced two days later.

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Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mahatma-gandhi-ashes-stolen-portrait-defaced-india-150th-birthday-lawmaker-says-today-2019-10-04/

[Thekaspervote]

1. Gandhi looks on and continues to peacefully pray

[DetlefK]

2. He did not bridge the divide between Hindus and Muslims. He was essentially a segregationist.

He was one of the politicians who split the original country India into the nations India and Pakistan.

[librechik]

3. thanks for the history, DetlfK

my husband has mentioned this in passing, but I haven't had time to look into it.

[IronLionZion]

4. And he was murdered by a Hindu extremist for it

There was sectarian violence at the time as Muslims wanted their own independent nation. He agreed to it because he thought it would bring peace.

[Javaman]

5. true, but it was lord Mountbatten that truly fucked the Muslims and Pakistan. nt