19th-century ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue vandalised in Lahore

The 19th Century Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue has been vandalised for the second time since its unveiling in 2019 at the Lahore Fort. Maharaja Ranjith Singh was known as ‘Sher-e-Punjab’.  The statue was almost nine-feet tall. The statue  was unveiled on Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s 180th death anniversary in June 2019. Maharaja Singh was the leader of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He died in 1839.

The statue was allegedly vandalised by a teenage religious zealot.  The accused teenager has been identified as Zaheer, a resident of Harbanspura in the city. “The security guards deployed there arrested the boy and handed him over to the police. The suspect has been booked under (sections) 295, 295-A and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code,” Lahore Walled City Authority said.

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