Mahatma Gandhi’s statue banned from Muslim-majority Lakshadweep

No takers for Bapu’s bust in Lakshadweep?
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-takers-for-Bapus-bust-in-Lakshadweep-/articleshow/6674683.cms
Ananthakrishnan G, TNN, Oct 3, 2010,

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A bust of Mahatma Gandhi couldn’t be offloaded at Lakshadweep even as the country celebrated his birth anniversary. The bust, which was supposed to be installed at Kavaratti, Lakshadweep’s capital, on Saturday, set sail from Kochi on September 28.

But it couldn’t land on the island. Though authorities cited “bad weather” as a reason, sources told TOI local sentiments against the installation caused the vessel MV Amindivi carrying the bust to return without unloading it.

Lakshadweep collector N Vasantha Kumar said, “If anybody protested, we would have been intimated by the Qazi, the highest religious authority. We have not received any communication from him so far.” After furore in the local media, the bust was sent back to Kavaratti on October 1. “It is being offloaded now,” Kumar said.

Recently, the administration had contacted a sculptor in Kerala to make the bust. “We wanted to unveil it on Gandhi Jayanti, but were not sure due to shortage of time,” said Kumar.

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