Islamabad: Minorities have once again been targeted in Pakistan. A statue of Great Sikh General Hari Singh Nalwa has been removed from Siddique-i-Akbar Chowk by the local administration in Haripur of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The eight feet tall metal structure was constructed in September. The idol was installed under the beautification plan of the city. It has been told in the reports that the price of the statue, as well as its solid base, is around Rs 25 lakh.
In fact, religious groups had objected to this statue being placed at the crossroads. After this, the administration removed the monument from the square. This crossroads is named after the first Caliph of Islam, Hazrat Abdul Bakr (RA). For this reason, only objection was raised about the idol. According to media reports, the idol of Maharaja Hari Singh Nalwa will be taken to a tank half a furlong to the east on GT Road. At the same time, a new monument in the name of Khalifa will be established at Siddiqui-e-Akbar Chowk.
Big attack on PAK army in Balochistan, terrorists claimed to have killed 45 soldiers
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa took strong objection to the removal of the statue which is of emotional importance to the Sikh community. He said that the Government of Pakistan is trying to reduce Sikh history and heritage from the country. Sirsa tweeted, ‘Pakistan government had promised to repair Hari Singh Nalwa ki Haveli, but so far it has not happened. Now, the removal of the statue of Hari Singh Nalwa is another way to reduce Sikh history and heritage. We strongly condemn this and demand the restoration of the idol.
Who was Hari Singh Nalwa?
Hari Singh Nalwa was the Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army. He played a major role in the establishment and conquest of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s empire. He commanded or participated in at least twenty major and historical wars. The most notable of these were the battles of Kasur, Sialkot, Attock, Multan, Kashmir, Peshawar, and Jamrud, in which Hari Singh Nalwa took command and won.
It is worth noting here that there have been many incidents in Pakistan where religious temples and idols have been destroyed or demolished by radical Islamists. On the other hand, the government does not take any steps to stop such attacks and remains silent.
