Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue vandalised again in Lahore; Indian Union Ministers condemn the act

On Tuesday, 17 August 2021, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri condemned the vandalism of the statue of Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Pakistan's city of Lahore, stating that this act attempts to erase the shared history of the subcontinent.

Vandalism in Lahore of the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji, the great unifier of India, has to be strongly condemned. This act which attempts to erase the shared history of the subcontinent shows how extremist ideologies feel emboldened in our volatile neighbourhood. pic.twitter.com/aI2wN3QGbe

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 17, 2021

This incident has happened for the third time in recent years. Ranjit Singh's statue was also vandalized in December 2020. The Lahore police have arrested a man and a hammer has been seized from his possession, Samaa TV reported.

• On 27 June 2019, the nine-foot-tall structure in cold bronze was unveiled at the Lahore Fort to mark the former ruler's 180th death anniversary.

Earlier today, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned the incident, stating Pakistan's radicals have once again hurt Sikh sentiments by vandalising Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue.

Urging @DrSJaishankar Ji to take up the matter of vandalisation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue in Lahore by radical elements with @PakinIndia and ask them to take a strict action to curb such hateful events targeted to hurt Sikh sentiments@ANI @punjabkesari @thetribunechd pic.twitter.com/6NgutLQmNA

— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) August 17, 2021

Known as the Lion of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire who ruled over Punjab for close to four decades.