BRITAIN

The legacy of Mohandas K. Gandhi is being celebrated with a prominent new statue of the Indian independence leader in Parliament Square in central London.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday unveiled the statue as sitar music played and Indian flags were waved.

Cameron said Gandhi's nonviolent tactics remain as potent today as when Gandhi used them.

He called Gandhi one of the most towering figures in the history of global politics.

The sculpture created by Philip Jackson was inspired by a 1931 photo of Gandhi at the prime minister's residence at No. 10 Downing Street.

The nine-foot-tall bronze sculpture will provide a focal point for commemorations in 2018 of the 70th anniversary of Gandhi's death. - AP