New Delhi: Days after the hooligans damaged a Hindu temple and idols in Pakistan, a group of vandals today damaged the statue of 18th-century Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh at the Lahore Fort.
Those behind the attack included members of Tehreek- e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a radical group in Pakistan.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue has been vandalised for 3rd time since 2019.
The video of vandals running riot was shared on Twitter. In the video, 2-3 people can be seen damaging the arms & other parts of statue.
TLP worker pulling down Ranjit Singh’s statue at the Lahore Fort. The statue had previously been vandalized by TLP workers on at least two different occasions in the past. pic.twitter.com/IMhcZmPj7e
— Ali Usman Qasmi (@AU_Qasmi) August 17, 2021
The statue was installed outside the Sikh Gallery of Lahore Fort in June 2019, on the 180th death anniversary of Ranjit Singh. Maharaja ruled Punjab for over 40 years.
The 9-foot statue, made of bronze material shows Maharaja Ranjit Singh riding his favourite Arabic horse Kahar Bahar with a sword in hand.
Just two months after unveiling, the statue became target of Tehreek-Labbaik, an outlawed group in Pakistan. The suspects were allegedly angry over India’s revocation of the special status to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.
For the 2nd time, the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was vandalised in December 2020.
