New Delhi, Jun 11 (IANS): Congress leader Sam Pitroda has criticised the vandalising of Gandhi statues in the US and the UK during recent protests against the police brutality in the US. Pitroda said both the cases should be investigated and those who did this were ignorant about Gandhi's contribution to humanity.

In a statement Sam Pitroda said, "The vandalisation of Gandhi statute at this time in the UK and US is a blow to the very concept of equality, freedom, and democracy."

"It is unfortunate that those who vandalised the statue are ignorant about Gandhi and his monumental contribution to humanity and help decolonise the entire world in the mid 20th century."

Pitroda, a technocrat-turned-politician and the head of the Indian Overseas Congress, said Gandhi's message of truth, trust, love, equality and non violence are in the hearts and minds of every person concerned about the death of George Floyd and the "black lives matter" movement.

"Gandhi is more relevant today in the US, UK, and the world than ever before. He was the inspiration to Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and many other global leaders of substance and character," added Pitroda.

The statue was vandalised by unidentified rioters during the ongoing violent protests against the custodial killing of an African-American citizen, George Floyd, in Minneapolis on May 25.

The US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, on Thursday apologized for the desecration of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Washington DC.

In the UK, the statue was vandalised in London at Parliament square.

The Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has told the US government that it will pay for the restoration of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Washington D.C. that was desecrated last week during the protests against police brutality.