Odisha body claims 'Kohinoor' belonged to Lord Jagannath, seeks its return from UK
Bhubaneswar, Sep 12: Claiming that the Kohinoor diamond belonged to Lord Jagannath, a socio-cultural organisation of Odisha has sought the intervention of President Droupadi Murmu so that the United Kingdom returns it to the famous Puri temple.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her son Prince Charles has become the King and, as per norms, the 105-carat diamond will go to his wife Duchess of Cornwall Camilla, who has now become the Queen consort.
Shree Jagannath Sena, a Puri-based outfit, submitted a memorandum with the President seeking her intervention to facilitate the process of bringing back the Kohinoor diamond, which is steeped in history, to the 12th-century shrine.
The Kohinoor diamond belongs to Sri Jagannath Bhagban. It is now with the Queen of England. Kindly request our Prime Minister to take steps to bring it to India for Lord Jagannath as Maharaja Ranjit Singh donated it to God Jagannath in his will, Sena convener Priya Darsan Pattnaik said in the memorandum.
Pattnaik claimed that Maharaja of Punjab Ranjit Singh had donated the diamond to the Puri Lord after he won a battle against Nadir Shah of Afghanistan.
However, it was not handed over immediately. Ranjit Singh died in 1839 and, 10 years later, the British took the Kohinoor away from his son, Duleep Singh, though they were aware that it was bequeathed to Lord Jagannath at Puri, historian and researcher Anil Dhir told PTI.
Pattnaik asserted that after he sent a letter to the Queen in this regard, he received a communication from Buckingham Palace on October 19, 2016, asking him to appeal directly to the United Kingdom government as her Majesty acts on the advice of her Ministers and remains strictly non-political at all times.
A copy of that letter was attached to the memorandum to the President, he said.
Asked why he was silent on the issue for six years, Pattnaik said he was denied a Visa to visit England due to which he could not take up the matter further with the UK government.
Sena's claim is justified though there are several claimants like Maharaja Ranjit Singh's heirs, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Dhir said.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh's will before his death stated that he donated the Kohinoor to Lord Jagannath. The document was certified by a British Army officer, the proof of which was available at the National Archives in Delhi, said the historian.
Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Bhupinder Singh had raised the issue of bringing the diamond back in Rajya Sabha in 2016.
The BJP MLA of Puri, Jayant Sarangi, said he would raise the matter in the Odisha Assembly.
The Kohinoor diamond was "surrendered" by the Maharaja of Lahore to the then Queen of England and "not handed over" to the British nearly 170 years ago, the Archaeological Survey of India replied to an RTI query a few years ago.
Author and historian William Dalrymple noted in his book, "Kohinoor" that child Sikh heir Duleep Singh regretted having surrendered the jewel to Queen Victoria. However, he also wished to give it to the Queen as a man.
The Indian government's stand in the Supreme Court was that the diamond, estimated to cost over USD 200 million, was neither stolen nor "forcibly" taken by British rulers but given to East India Company by erstwhile rulers of Punjab.
Considered to be one of the world's most precious gems, the Kohinoor was reportedly found in India in the 14th century during coal mining in the Kollur mine in South India during the reign of the Kaaktiya Dynasty.
As Kohinoor diamond is said to bring bad luck to men, only women have been wearing it since it got into British hands.
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Rajnath, Shah, other Union ministers change social media profile photos to 'Op Sindoor' logo
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other top ministers on Thursday changed the display pictures on their social media profiles to mark the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor following a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The prime minister, earlier in the day, shared a digital poster depicting the now widely recognised logo of Operation Sindoor and urged others to do the same as a mark of respect to the armed forces.
Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, with Indian forces conducting precision strikes on multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
After launching the military operation, the Indian Army, in a post on X, at 1:51 am on May 7 had said, "Justice is served. Jai Hind!"
On its first anniversary, the Indian military on Thursday said, Operation Sindoor -- "precise in action, eternal in memory" -- reflected the country's determination to defend its sovereignty with courage, coordination and strength.
The Army, the Navy, the Indian Air Force, the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and the defence ministry also updated the display pictures on their social media profiles to mark the anniversary.
Defence Minister Singh, while updating his profile photo on X, said Operation Sindoor stands as a "powerful symbol" of national resolve and preparedness, and that their actions reflected unmatched precision, and set a "benchmark" for modern military operations.
"On the anniversary of Operation Sindoor, we salute the valour and sacrifices of our armed forces, whose courage and dedication continue to safeguard the nation. Their actions during the operation reflected unmatched precision, seamless jointness and deep synergy across services, setting a benchmark for modern military operations," he wrote.
"Operation Sindoor stands as a powerful symbol of national resolve and preparedness, showing that our armed forces are always ready to act decisively when it matters most. It also stands testament to India’s steady advance towards achieving #Atmanirbharta, enhancing capability while reinforcing resilience," he added.
The Ministry of External Affairs, led by its minister Jaishankar, also marked the anniversary, and reasserted and amplified India's diplomatic stand on this operation.
"A year ago, #OperationSindoor demonstrated the nation's resolve to defend itself against cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. With its decisive actions, India ensured accountability for terrorist actions. And underlined that such a serious threat to peace and security will be effectively countered. Under the leadership of PM @narendramodi, India stands strong and determined to convey a message of zero tolerance for terrorism," the EAM posted on X.
Earlier in a separate post, Jaishankar too changed his profile picture and posted an image of the Operation Sindoor logo on the timeline.
Home Minister Shah, in a post on X, said, "Operation Sindoor stands as an epochal mission of India that will always remind our enemies of the infallible striking power of our armed forces."
After Indian forces had launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, Pakistan later also launched offensives against India, and all subsequent counter-offensives by India were also carried out under Operation Sindoor.
The military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, lasting nearly 88 hours, halted after they reached an understanding on the evening of May 10.
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi and Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil too updated their profile photos.
The Indian Army in an early morning post wrote, "#OperationSindoor India's resolute response calibrated and precise. Committed to safeguarding sovereignty and its people. #JusticeServed Jai Hind".
It also shared a video clip encapsulating the circumstances that led to the decisive military action in the early hours of May 7 last year, as well as some footage offering a glimpse to the military might of India.
"India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers," PM Modi had earlier said in his address, whose excerpt is part of the widely shared clip.
Recalling the military action launched on the intervening night of May 6-7, the Indian Air Force put out the anniversary post on X at 1:05 AM.
"Operation Sindoor Justice served. Precise in action, eternal in memory-Operation Sindoor continues. India forgets nothing-India forgives nothing. #operation #Sindoor #operationsindoor #IAF," the IAF posted.
The Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) also posted the anniversary message at 1:05 AM, saying, "Symbol of national resolve #OpSindoor JAI HIND #OpSindoor #indianarmedforces #NationalSecurity".
The Indian embassies in the US, the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Italy also updated their display pictures on their social media profiles.
The embassies in France, Germany, Spain and Italy posted on X in French, German and Italian, amplifying the message of the Indian leadership on Operation Sindoor's anniversary in the respective countries.
The Indian Embassy in the UK posted on X, "One year of #OperationSindoor A tribute to India’s resolve, unity, and unwavering stand against terrorism. Saluting the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces who protect the nation with pride and honor. #OpSindoor #IndiaAgainstTerrorism #IndianArmedForces #NationalSecurity #IndiaFirst #SaluteOurForces #JaiHind #OperationSindoorContinues".
The Indian embassy in Israel also changed its profile photo on X and reposted PM Modi's post, and the X account of the embassy in Iran too changed the display picture to the logo of Operation Sindoor.
The Indian Navy in an early morning post on X said Operation Sindoor reflected India's determination to defend its sovereignty with courage and strength.
"Nation's Resolve. Forces United In moments that test a nation's will, the Indian Defence Forces stand united - resolute in purpose, precise in action and unwavering in commitment. #OperationSindoor reflects India's determination to defend its sovereignty with courage, coordination and strength. #OpSindoor #NationFirst #IndianNavy @HQ_IDS_India @adgpi @IAF_MCC," the Navy posted and changed its profile photo.
