The statue of Lord Vishnu was allegedly destroyed by Thailand military on Monday after over two weeks of military clashes between the two nations.

MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the deity at the Thailand-Cambodia border are deeply revered and worshipped by the peolple in the region and is part of shared civilisational heritage.

“We have seen reports on the demolition of a statue of a Hindu religious deity, built in recent times, and located in an area affected by the ongoing Thai-Cambodia border dispute. Hindu and Buddhist deities are deeply revered and worshipped by people across the region, as part of our shared civilizational heritage,” MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.

India called for the two sides to resume peace, adding that such “disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world”.

“Notwithstanding territorial claims, such disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world, and should not take place. We once again urge the two sides to return to dialogue and diplomacy, to resume peace and avoid any further loss of lives, and damage to property and heritage,” the MEA statement added.

The Vishnu statue, built in 2014, was toppled by a bulldozer by Thai military engineers. A video showing the demolition of the Vishnu statue circulated on social media, leading to an outrage. The Thai authorities have so far not issued a response over the incident.

Earlier in the day, Cambodia had also slammed Thailand for destroying the Hindu statue in the disputed border area.

“The statue was inside our territory in the An Ses area,” Kim Chanpanha, a Cambodian spokesman in the border province of Preah Vihear, told AFP.