Facing allegations of mercilessly beating a horse breaking one of its hind legs during a protest march, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ganesh Joshi has defended himself saying he was not even present at the location.
Refuting all accusations against him, Joshi said, "this is a conspiracy against me. I was not even anywhere near the location. I went to see the horse yesterday. We should worry about the horse, I will fund his treatment."
He also claimed that he was not even present at the location when the incident took place. He added that he "loves street pets also, people are not believing me. All these are false allegations."
Meanwhile, there is also another video on the internet which showed another protester pull at the saddle of the horse after which it fell down and failed to get up.
A case been registered against Joshi for allegedly beating the horse. "We have registered a case against the BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi for beating up the horse. The video is there for everyone to see, we have eyewitnesses to prove what happened. The horse Shaktiman is critical but out of danger. Has had multiple fractures. Operation is on to try and save his leg. Veterinary surgeons have been called from Tamil Nadu and Pant Nagar university," Sanjay Gunjiyal IG Gharwal Range said.
The alleged incident happened during BJP's march against "corruption and poor law and order" to the Uttarakhand Assembly which was stopped at barricades put up by Uttarakhand police near Ripsana bridge, a few metres from the state legislature premises.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have sought strict action against the lawmaker. "The horse is in immense pain. Doctors say he will never be able to walk again and his legs are likely to be amputated. Somebody who can do this to a horse can do this to anyone. He must not be in such a position," said PETA campaign manager Bhubhaneshwari Gupta.
The horse - Shaktiman - was bought in 2007 by Uttarakhand Police for approximately Rs 1 lakh. He has taken part in a number of law and order duties including maintaining Mahakumbh of 2010. He also proved to be an asset according to Uttarakhand Police officers as Mahakumbh was one of the largest congregation of human beings and Shaktiman maintained his composure even in such crowd.
Usually, horses in such condition when they lose their limbs, are put to sleep. However, officers who are aware of the treatment being given to the horse say that such an option will be the last resort to deal with Shaktiman.
Following this incident, he will be retired from police force. The challenge will be his sustenance as government does not pay for the maintenance of a retired, injured animal.
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