On saturday 19 july 2015 Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday offered to install a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Saint-Tropez in France, the birth place of his Army General Jean-Francois Allard.
The offer was made by Mr. Badal here during a meeting with Henri Allard the Deputy Mayor of Saint-Tropez, who is the direct lineal descendant of General Allard.
The Chief Minister said it was an honour for Punjab to get a white marble statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh installed at Saint-Tropez next year which would go a long way in strengthening bilateral relations between India and France and especially Punjab.
He also accepted the invitation to unveil the statue on its inauguration ceremony at Saint-Tropez.
Henri Allard apprised Mr. Badal that they intend to install a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Saint-Tropez as a mark of respect to the great king of the first Sikh empire following which the Chief Minister made the offer.
Mr. Allard said that installation of the statue at Saint-Tropez would go a long way in fostering bonds of goodwill, bonhomie and friendship between the people of France and Punjab.
He told Mr. Badal that Gen. Allard along with Gen. Ventura served in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and both made an enormous contribution for the modernisation of his military and raised Fauj-i-khas , the “special” or “royal” brigade.
Claude Maniscalco, Director Saint-Tropez Tourism informed the Chief Minister that Saint-Tropez was of very prominent tourist’s destination world over where nearly 6.5 million tourists visit this place every year.