The removal of a picture of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, renowned as the Lion of the Punjab or Sher-e-Punjab, from the back of the state chief’s minister’s chair in the chief minister’s office (CMO) has sparked a controversy with the Opposition parties demanding the newly elected CM, Bhagwant Mann, to restore the picture.
When Mann formally took charge as Punjab CM in the CMO on Wednesday, instead of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s picture, photographs of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Bhimrao Ambedkar were seen behind the CM’s chair.
It was in line with Mann’s earlier announcement that no government office will carry photographs of the chief minister and photos of Bhagat Singh and Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar will be put on walls in government offices.
Questioning this, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and it’s alliance partner in the recent Assembly polls, Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), objected to this change and demanded the CM to restore Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s picture.
The BJP Punjab general secretary Subhash Sharma said it was praise worthy of the Mann to place the pictures of Bhagat Singh and Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar in the CM office but the removal of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s picture is not only an insult if the great personality but also of the entire Punjab.
In a tweet, he demanded the CM to immediately apologise for this and restore Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s picture at the CMO with full respect.
In a tweet, Captain Amarinder Singh-led PLC said, “Removing Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s picture from Chief Minister’s office is unacceptable. Maharaja Ranjit Singh is a great symbol of Punjabis’ pride, valour and courage. Nobody can take his place. Appeal Bhagwant Mann to restore it,”.
Till the time of writing of this article, there was no comment from Mann or the CMO on this.