*The statue of Veer Maharana Pratap installed at Sadar Bazaar Chowk in Ambala Cantonment is an eternal torch of self-respect – Energy Minister Anil Vij*

*“Mounted on Chetak with sword in hand…” – Anil Vij unveils Maharana Pratap’s statue; says, “This is not stone, it is a living inspiration!”*

*“My tongue has been blessed today; I got the opportunity to speak about Maharana Pratap. The very mention of his name makes blood rush through the veins” – Vij*

*“Today when we talk about self-reliance, Maharana Pratap is our greatest source of inspiration” – Anil Vij*

Chandigarh, May 9 – Haryana’s Energy, Transport and Labour Minister Sh. Anil Vij said that today, at the main intersection of Sadar Bazaar in Ambala Cantonment, not just a statue of Veer Maharana Pratap has been installed, but an eternal torch has been lit that will continuously remind every passerby of patriotism and self-respect.

He further said that Maharana Pratap belongs to the entire nation — to every religion, every caste, and not to any one community alone. He was a warrior who awakened the nation, sacrificed everything for the protection of the country, and gave a message of courage and patriotism to the youth.

Sh. Vij was addressing a massive gathering today after unveiling the statue of Veer Maharana Pratap at Sadar Bazaar Chowk in Ambala Cantonment. Energy Minister Anil Vij, while raising slogans in praise of Maharana Pratap, recited: “chadh chetak par talavaar utha, rakhata tha bhootal paanee ko, raana prataap sir kaat-kaat, karata tha saphal javaanee ko”.

He said that today his tongue had been blessed because he got the opportunity to speak about the great son of India, Maharana Pratap, whose very name makes blood surge rapidly through one’s veins. He said Maharana Pratap was the man who rejected the luxuries of palaces and chose to wander through forests, but never bowed before any foreign invader. Energy Minister Anil Vij said that today is not merely the day of unveiling a statue, but the day of reviving the spirit of valor, self-respect, and indomitable courage that protected India’s identity for centuries. He added that whenever the name of Maharana Pratap, the Lion of Mewar, is spoken, blood begins to boil in the veins.

He said that the statue installed at this intersection is not merely a structure of stone or metal, but a living inspiration for eyes that dream and for hands that rise against injustice. It is noteworthy that Energy Minister Anil Vij had provided ₹50 lakh from his discretionary fund for the installation of Maharana Pratap’s statue. The statue is 12.5 feet tall, weighs 16 quintals, and is made of Panch Dhatu (five-metal alloy). During the event, he also honored sculptor Mahavir Bharti from Jaipur by presenting him with a turban.

*“We were taught in books that Akbar was great, but the truly great one was Maharana Pratap” – Anil Vij*

Energy Minister Anil Vij said that history books taught us that Akbar was great, but those writings were influenced by a mentality soaked in slavery. According to Vij, it was not Akbar but Maharana Pratap who was truly great. He strongly stated that all those history books which describe Akbar as “great” should be torn apart, and in their place, written in the ink of one’s own blood, should be the words “Maharana Pratap the Great.” He pointed out that the newly installed statue in Ambala also bears the inscription “Maharana Pratap Great.” Vij further said that even after independence, governments continued with a colonial mindset and kept glorifying Akbar. But from now onward, Maharana Pratap would be remembered as “the Great.”

*“Today when we talk about becoming self-reliant, Maharana Pratap is our greatest inspiration” – Vij*

Energy Minister Anil Vij said that people often ask what relevance a 16th-century warrior has today. He replied that Maharana Pratap is needed now more than ever. He explained that Maharana Pratap lived in forests and manufactured his own weapons and resources. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to make India self-reliant, and inspiration for this can be drawn from Maharana Pratap. Therefore, when we speak about self-reliance, Maharana Pratap stands as our greatest inspiration. He reiterated that Maharana Pratap belongs to the entire nation, to all religions and all castes, and not to any single community. He was a warrior who dedicated everything for the protection and awakening of the country.

Addressing the youth, Vij said that whenever difficulties arise in life and resources become scarce, one should never give up. He urged them to remember the great man who abandoned palace comforts and chose the forests, yet never lost because he never bowed mentally. He called upon everyone to take an oath under the shadow of Maharana Pratap’s statue that they would never allow harm to come to the honor of their motherland.

*“Ambala Cantonment is the town where martyrs and heroes are remembered” – Vij*

Energy Minister Anil Vij said that Ambala Cantonment is unique in the country because it remembers and honors its heroes. A statue and park dedicated to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose have been established there, along with a statue of Bhagat Singh. Soon, statues of Rajguru and Sukhdev will also be installed alongside him. He further said that a statue of Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar will also soon be installed.

Additionally, a martyr memorial has been built in Ambala Cantonment to honor the heroes of the First War of Independence who fought against British rule, a struggle that began from Ambala Cantonment itself. Vij pointed out that these heroes were never properly remembered or paid tribute to in the past. At the memorial, scenes from the 1857 freedom struggle — including Ambala, Meerut, Delhi, Agra, and the battles fought by Rani Lakshmibai and Tantia Tope — have been depicted. A dedicated tribute area has also been created where every citizen can go and pay homage to the martyrs.

*Energy Minister Anil Vij highlights the life of Maharana Pratap*

Energy Minister Anil Vij said that history bears witness to the time when the throne of Delhi spread fear across the land and when many kings and rulers surrendered before it. Yet one brave warrior, hidden in the caves of the Aravalli hills, survived on grass bread while vowing to protect his motherland. He described it as a time when India groaned under the boots of invaders. One after another, Rajput kingdoms were surrendering before the Delhi court, trading their independence for luxuries and treaties. But, he said, the soil of Chittor had a different destiny.

On May 9, 1540, when Maharana Pratap was born in the fort of Kumbhalgarh, he was not merely born as a prince, but as the future protector of India’s identity. When he was crowned in 1572, he possessed neither a golden throne nor a secure kingdom. Before him stood the world’s mightiest empire — Akbar’s Mughal empire. Vij said Maharana Pratap renounced royal luxury and took a solemn vow: “Until I free Mewar, I shall neither dine on golden plates, nor sleep on beds, nor live in palaces.”

According to Vij, this was the highest sacrifice a king could make for his motherland. He further said that June 18, 1576, was not merely a date, but a page of history that still bears testimony to unmatched valor. In the narrow pass of Haldighati, on one side stood an army of 80,000 Mughal soldiers, while on the other side stood merely 20,000 Bhil and Rajput warriors.

He urged people to imagine the sight of Maharana Pratap riding his horse Chetak into the Mughal ranks with an unsheathed sword, appearing like death itself dancing on the battlefield. When Chetak placed his feet upon Man Singh’s elephant, it was not just an animal’s leap, but the spirit of a warrior in action. Vij also described the painful image of grass bread being snatched away by a wild cat from the hands of Maharana Pratap’s children in the forests of Haldighati. Yet, despite such suffering, Maharana Pratap did not waver, and instead strengthened his resolve toward his duty to the motherland.

He said that when Chetak leaped across the stream in Haldighati, it was not merely a horse jumping, but nationalism itself soaring through the winds. Maharana Pratap’s sword, he said, struck not only the Mughal army but also the mentality of slavery. Vij declared that today, society must fight a “Battle of Haldighati” against corruption, laziness, and social divisions. He urged people not only to become descendants of Maharana Pratap, but carriers of his ideals.

*Large participation from the Rajput community and citizens*

A large number of people, including members of the Rajput community, attended the unveiling ceremony of Maharana Pratap’s statue at Sadar Bazaar, Ambala Cantonment. Representatives of the Rajput community from various parts of Haryana honored Energy Minister Anil Vij with turbans, shawls, mementos, and swords in gratitude for the installation of the statue. Apart from this, members of Seva Bharti, IMA, and several other social organizations enthusiastically participated in the event.

Among those present at the function were SDM Kanika Goyal, senior BJP leader Kapil Vij, Municipal Council Chairperson Swaran Kaur, Vice-Chairman Lalta Prasad, DSP Ramesh Kumar, EO Devender Narwal, BJP leaders Sanjeev Walia, Sanjeev Soni Babbu, Jasbir Singh Jassi, Kiranpal Chauhan, Vijender Chauhan, Rajeev Gupta, Madanlal Sharma, Aarti Sehgal, Surender Bindra, B.S. Bindra, Ajay Baveja, Ashish Aggarwal, Pravesh Sharma, Ravi Budhiraja, Harsh Bindra, Vikas Bahgal, Shyam Sundar Arora, Puneet Sarpal, Vipin Khanna, Balit Nagpal, Deepak Deep, and many others.

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