Gandhi is revered as the leader of the Indian independence movement.
Police in Rewa, central India, have confirmed that the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi have been stolen from the Bapu Bhawan memorial. It appears that a poster in the memorial was also defaced.
Those responsible wrote "traitor" in green paint across photographs of the independence leader, who was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize three times.
Gandhi, whose 150th birthday would have been yesterday, is a hero to many in India, but is reviled by other members of the Hindu community for his advocacy of peace between Hindus and Muslims.
A caretaker for the memorial site told The Wire: "I opened the gate of the Bhawan early in the morning because it was Gandhi's birthday. When I returned at around 23:00, I found the mortal remains of Gandhi missing and his poster was defaced."
Gandhi was assassinated by an extremist in 1948.
