ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — 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."

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.