Ghana says it wants to remove Gandhi statue from campus
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE-In this Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016 file photo, a statue of Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi in Accra, Ghana, Ghana has expressed its intention to remove a statue of Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi from a university in the capital, citing a controversy over what critics call his “racist identity.” (AP Photo/Christian Thompson, File) (The Associated Press)
Ghana has expressed its intention to remove a statue of Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi from a university in the capital, citing a controversy over what critics call his "racist identity."
Professors at the University of Ghana launched a petition last month calling for the removal of the statue, which was unveiled by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee during a visit in June.
Ghana's foreign affairs ministry said the government "would ... want to relocate the statue from the University of Ghana to ensure its safety."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Obadele Kambon, one of the petition's organizers, said Thursday there was no confirmation the statue would be removed.
Gandhi, a lawyer, lived for two decades in South Africa. The petition quotes writings from that period in which he refers to black South Africans as savages.