Canada: Outrage as pro-Palestine protesters 'deface' Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue
A video showing masked protesters holding Palestine's flag and draping a keffiyeh—a traditional Palestinian scarf—on the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Canada has drawn the ire of Indians. The incident reportedly happened during a pro-Palestinian protest in Brampton. The video was shared by Hindu American Foundation, which said it was outraged by this "hate crime." "Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh emperor, is universally respected in India as a defender of the nation by defeating Afghan invaders," the foundation said.
Keffiyeh draped on statue
Who is Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He ruled the empire from 1801 until his death in 1839. During the early half of the 19th century, he ruled across the northwest Indian subcontinent. Ranjit, who is also known as the "Lion of Punjab," fought multiple wars to expel Afghans when his father died when he was in his early teens. At the age of 21, he was crowned the "Maharaja of Punjab."
