Bust of Mahatma Gandhi defaced in Kannur   

A bust of Mahatma Gandhi was found defaced in Kannur district's Taliparamba town today, police said.

The spectacle carving was damaged and a garland on the statue was lying nearby, an official said, giving details of the vandalisation, the latest in a series of similar incidents being reported from various parts of the country.

The Gandhi statue was close to the Taliparamba Taluk office, the official said, adding that a probe was on to identify those behind the incident.

A CCTV visual showed the suspected man behind the incident walking away from the site.  Some locals on the spot were reported as saying that they saw a man hurling a stone at the statue before fleeing the spot.

A complaint was received from Deputy Tahsildar C V Prakasan, based on which investigations are on, the official said.

Yesterday, abust of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was vandalised in Kolkata. The day before, a statue of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar was damaged in Meerut.

The incidents came close on the heels of Communist leader Lenin's statues being damaged in Tripura and Dravidan movement founder E V Ramasamy Periyar's bust being desecrated in Vellore, Tamil Nadu.