Maharaja's statue vandalism extremist act: British Sikh MP

Chandigarh, Aug 18 (IANS) Saddened after Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue was vandalised in Lahore, British Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi on Wednesday said the court of the Sikh ruler was run by the Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Sikhs.

"Saddened by this from extremists in Pakistan (western) Punjab, specially as Maharaja Ranjit Singh was no foreign invader, but fellow Punjabi whose court was run by Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Sikhs, and who donated to building their shrines," Dhesi tweeted.

"Hope authorities swiftly repair it," the Sikh MP from Slough added.

A day earlier India expressed concern at the vandalization of the statue, saying incidents of violence against Pakistan's minorities are increasing at an "alarming rate".

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri described Maharaja Ranjit Singh 'the great unifier of India', saying the incident must 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," Puri tweeted.

This was the third attempt of vandalising the statue since its unveiling in 2019 at the Lahore Fort on Ranjit Singh's 180th death anniversary.