Panaji, Aug 19 (IANS): Anyone who uses a hammer to smash a statue of Jain Tirthankara Bhagwan Mahavir, a messenger of peace, has to be "mentally unstable", Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Goa legislative assembly Tuesday, while also promising a bigger, shatter-proof statue of the sage.

"The person who used a hammer to damage a statue of a man who preached non-violence all his life, has got to be mentally unbalanced," Parrikar said, adding that the vandalised statue would be removed from public sight soon.

The statue of Bhagwan Mahavir installed in Panaji was found damaged Sunday.

We have asked officials to install a new, bigger metallic statue if possible. Precautions will be taken to ensure that it is tall and difficult to climb, Parrikar said.

Some years ago, another statue of Bhagwan Mahavir was damaged at the Bhagwan Mahavir wildlife sanctuary in south Goa, 80 kms from Panaji.

"One thing we must learn from this incident is that we should not have statues everywhere. Because of such incidents, people's feelings are hurt," Parrikar said.