BJP lawmaker Ganesh Joshi, accused of a brutal attack on Shaktiman the police horse during a protest on Monday, which left the animal crippled, has been arrested. Mr Joshi has been charged with cruelty and maiming an animal. He has alleged that he is being targeted by the state’s ruling Congress. The 14-year-old horse was allegedly beaten during the BJP protest, and could be seen in heartbreaking visuals struggling with a broken, mangled hind limb. Surrounded by protesters armed with sticks, the horse collapsed.
The BJP lawmaker is in the visuals, holding a stick and poised to strike, but is never seen hitting the horse. A BJP worker seen dragging down the policeman riding Shaktiman and pulling at its saddle and reins, causing its fall, was arrested yesterday. The animal was operated upon by 10 doctors but could not stand on its own. Last night, doctors said they were forced to amputate the broken limb as they feared the horse would die of gangrene. After the surgery, Shaktiman stood for the first time in three days, on a prosthetic limb.
The hashtag #PrayForShaktiman became a trending topic on Twitter as news of its amputation surgery spread. Ganesh Joshi, confronting criticism, had visited the horse on Thursday. He said: “I came here out of humanity…I didn’t hit the horse but an innocent animal has suffered.” As visuals of Shaktiman drew strong emotional reactions, the police had to ward the suffering horse from a crowd of visitors over the past few days, including politicians. Among them was Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who said he would make sure the animal got the best treatment possible. The horse has been a part of police ceremonial parades since it was a three-year-old colt. Doctors say it may never walk or run like before. Some activists suggest it may be more humane not to prolong its pain.
