Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Statue in Pakistan Vandalised for Third Time, One Detained (Watch Video)
A statute of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, installed in Lahore Fort complex in Pakistan, was vandalised by a member of a banned group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.
Lahore, August 17: A statute of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, installed in Lahore Fort complex in Pakistan, was vandalised by a member of a banned group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. The vandalism of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue took place on Tuesday. This is the third time that the Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue has been vandalised. Local police have detained a man involved in the vandalism, reports said. Hockey Stick and Ball Stolen From Pakistan Hockey Legend Samiullah Khan’s Statue in Bahawalpur.
Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawwad Hussain termed the incident "shameful". "This bunch of illiterates are really dangerous for Pakistan image in the world," he tweeted reacting to the video of the incident. The video shows a young man pulling down the statue. Buddha Statue Vandalised in Pakistan During Construction Work, Imran Khan Govt Faces Ire After Video Goes Viral.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Statue in Pakistan Vandalised:
Made of cold bronze, the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was unveiled in Lahore Fort complex in June 2019. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the first Maharaja of the Sikh empire. Before his death in 1839, he ruled over Punjab for nearly 40 years. Funded by UK-based Sikh Heritage Foundation, the statue was built and installed by the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA).
The statue was first vandalised in September 2019 when two members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik entered the high security Lahore Fort complex and broke the statue with a rod. One of the men had disguised as a disabled person, while the other pretended to be his helper. As soon as they entered the complex, the man who pretended to have a leg disability hit the statue with the rod he was carrying.
They broke one of the arms of the statue and other parts. Both of them were arrested. The statue was then rebuilt. It was vandalised for the second time in December 2020. The statue shows the Sikh ruler sitting on his favourite horse named Kahar Bahar with a sword in hand. Dost Muhammad Khan, the founder of the Barazkai dynasty, had gifted the horse to Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 17, 2021 02:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).