Mahatma Gandhi statue is branded 'scary' and 'insulting' toward the Indian independence campaigner

A new statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi seems to have drastically missed the mark and has been branded 'scary' and 'insulting' to the national figure. The statue made from scrap metal was removed only days after it was installed.

It reportedly cost Rs 1 lakh ($1,200) and was erected on October 2 but has since been removed following criticism. The huge figure was installed by the Meerut Municipal Corporation at a popular selfie point, in northern India's Uttar Pradesh and was unveiled on his birthday.

A local source said: "The face of the statue had a scarier outlook and while the idea to use scrap items was good, the execution may have missed the point. Due to its scary outlook, many have lashed out at the concept and said that it was an insult to the historic figure."

Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer and anti-colonial nationalist who used non-violent methods to campaign for India’s independence from British rule. 

Born in 1869 in Gujarat, India, Gandhi studied law at the Inner Temple in London but was unable to secure practice in India. He therefore moved to South Africa in 1893 where he stayed for 21 years.

It was in South Africa that Gandhi first used tactics of non-violent resistance to campaign for civil rights. This activism gained Gandhi the title Mahatma, meaning ‘great soul’. He gained popularity on his return to India in 1915 when he led campaigns to improve the lives of India’s peasants, farmers and labourers