New Delhi: An image showing newly-elected Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann taking charge of his office in the Chief Minister’s Office in Chandigarh Wednesday has gone viral on social media while accusing him of removing the portrait of Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh from the room.
Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders hit out at Mann for allegedly replacing Ranjit Singh’s portrait with pictures of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and social reformer B. R. Ambedkar.
“Kejriwal govt’s disrespectful attack on Sikh identity. Punjab govt removes photo of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from Punjab Chief Minister’s Office,” BJP leader Preeti Gandhi posted on Twitter Thursday.
Comparing Mann with other former chief ministers of Punjab, Gandhi noted that no other governments in the “past dared to remove” the portrait of the Sikh ruler, Singh, also known as the Lion of the Punjab or Sher-e-Punjab, from the CMO office in Chandigarh.
Kejriwal govt's disrespectful attack on Sikh identity. Punjab govt removes photo of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from Punjab Chief Minister's Office.
Do note, whether it was Akali dal or Congress, no one in the past dared to remove the portrait of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from the CMO. pic.twitter.com/f3NWJzGdTs
— Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) March 17, 2022
Punjab BJP’s general secretary Subhash Sharma sarcastically said putting up images of the two leaders was “highly commendable” but criticised the “removal” of the Sikh leader’s portrait. He said Mann’s actions have “not just insulted the great personality” but the whole of Punjab.
प्रिय @BhagwantMann जी, CMO में शहीद भगत सिंह और बाबा साहेब का चित्र लगाना बहुत प्रशंसनीय है परंतु शेरे पंजाब महाराजा रणजीत सिंह का चित्र हटा कर ना सिर्फ़ आपने इस महान शख़्सियत का बल्कि पूरे पंजाब का अपमान किया है । तुरंत माफ़ी माँगिए और पूरे सम्मान के साथ चित्र वापिस लगाइये । pic.twitter.com/Bfk6WddCb2
— Subhash Sharma (@DrSubhash78) March 17, 2022
News agency ANI also posted a picture of Mann from his office at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, showing Singh and Ambedkar’s portraits in the backdrop.
Bhagwant Mann assumes office as Chief Minister of Punjab at Punjab Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh pic.twitter.com/hg5trwOE46
— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2022
Fact check
The image that went viral on social media showing Mann with the portraits of Bhagat Singh and B.R. Ambedkar is from a different room in the CMO office.
Mann did not remove any portrait of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In fact, ANI shared another post of Mann from his “maiden meeting” where the Sikh leader’s portrait can be clearly seen in the background.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann addressed his maiden meeting after assuming charge as the Chief Minister of the state.
He urged the top brass of state civil & police administration to discharge their duties as public servants in the letter and spirit: CMO pic.twitter.com/2MrNQeNWJY
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2022
Several Twitter users came in support of the Punjab CM and demanded Preeti Gandhi delete her post.
Was bhagat singh not Sikh? And do see this.. where the Photo of Maharaja Ranjit singh is still there!https://t.co/tMVwPEtOLH
Please delete this NOW!
— Sweety (@shahsweetym) March 17, 2022
Hi @PunjabGovtIndia, please initiate legal action against this woman for spreading fake news and trying to damage the social fabric of Punjab.
cc: @PunjabPoliceInd pic.twitter.com/hdF6yfD2he— Rahul Tahiliani (@Rahultahiliani9) March 17, 2022
(In collaboration with SM Hoaxslayer)
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