Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue vandalized for the 3rd time in Pakistan

The statue of 19th century Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been vandalized for the 3rd time in the city of Lahore in Pakistan.

Pakistan Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry commented on Twitter, “Shameful this bunch of illiterates are really dangerous for Pakistan’s image in the world,”

Member of a radical party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) pulled down Ranjit Singh’s statue at the Lahore Fort. The statue had previously been vandalized by TLP workers at least 2 different times the past.

In a video shared on Twitter, the man could be seen striking the statue with his bare hands and damaging its arms and other parts.
The statue, which was unveiled at the ‘Mai Jinda’ haveli in Lahore in June 2019, was earlier vandalized by radical Islamists in August 2019 and then again in December 2020.

A teenage visitor had broken the arm of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue in December 2020. After he was caught, he told the police that his ‘religious sentiments were hurt seeing the statue of a Sikh ruler at the fort.

After the incident last year, the authorities had closed the enclosure which displays the bronze figure of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

According to the report, the latest vandalization of the statue was carried out by a person named Rizwan at the Lahore Fort. He was chanting something in a foreign language as he breached the railings around the statue. He could be seen pulling the parts of the statue in the social media post. He would break apart, that would fall away and he too, along with it.

Rizwan would stand up again and breach the railings push and pull until one more piece would fall off the statue.

Rizwan has been apprehended and sent to jail for vandalizing the statue.
The 9-feet long statue is made of cold bronze. It shows the regal Sikh emperor sitting on a horse, sword in hand, complete in Sikh attire.