Pro-Palestinian protesters deface statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh

The statue of the first ruler of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was defaced in Canada, reports said.

A video of masked pro-Palestinian protesters was doing rounds on various social media platforms showing some men defacing the statue of the Maharaja.

A social media user – Leviathan – who published the video, identified the person defacing the statue as one Hosaam Hamdan, who has a history of indulging in such acts.

Maharaja’s statue was earlier damaged in Pakistan thrice by religious extremists. It was vandalized twice by members of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. It a gift to the people of the Pakistan province from a body in the United Kingdom.

It was later restored and placed at Kartarpur Sahib so that Indian Sikhs visiting the site could also see it.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the founder of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue has been a target of Islamists before.
In August 2021, a similar incident took place at Lahore Fort, where a nine-foot-tall statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was defaced and broken for the third time by members of a Pakistani political party.

The statue was pulled down by workers of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. The party workers first broke the arm of the statue and then dislodged it completely.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the man he was!

The Maharaja – a powerful Sikh ruler who successfully repelled Afghan attacks in Punjab and safeguarded the region from invasion – was also referred to as the “Lion of Punjab.”

Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the founder and first ruler of the Sikh Empire, established in the early 19th century.

He lost one of his eyes due to smallpox at a young age. Despite the problem, he emerged as a formidable leader and military strategist.

He also resisted the expansion of the British Empire. He had an inclusive administration, comprising people from various religious backgrounds, including Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Europeans.

Born on 13th November 1780 in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan), Punjab, he fought his first battle at the age of 10 and ascended the throne soon after. The Lion of Punjab conquered Lahore when he was just 18. He ruled for 40 years, keeping the British at bay and ensured that no one came near his empire.