@menachem-shmei I don’t mean to be rude or insulting, but I have a hard time believing you about how strict people were about not davening towards a picture of your Rebbe ZT”L. The reason being is that this is the type of thing I hear a lot from Chabadniks discussing their practices with frum people. The frum person will mention some Chabad thing, and the Chabadnik will gasp in horror and say “Oh no! Only a few real crazies do that! All of Chabad hates that sort of thing!”
Which is fine. Problems start when I see or hear something that directly contradicts this notion, which happens very very often. Like one day on CR a Lubavitcher will adamantly deny that there is such a thing as an Elokist. However, within the same thread a different Lubavitcher will go on a whole thing explaining how his Rebbe is “Atzmus Nasi HaDor” and we can direct our teffilos to him and he will answer them. Every time the Moshiach discussion happens, there’s someone who will claim that it’s really just one rich guy who spends all his time and money on the signs and everyone hates him. Meanwhile, you can find YouTube videos from last week of hundreds of people declaring Rav Schneerson ZT”L to be the Moshiach.
As for your claim that no “real” Chabadnik will put a picture of a Lubavitcher Rebbe by teffilos, there are literally Chabad houses and synagogues with a giant picture up on the mizrach vant. And quite a few people who do these sorts of things are in massive positions of authority.