Uttarakhand BJP MLA: 'I was not there when the horse fell'

'They are calling me an accused without even an inquiry.'

'The video was fabricated and doctored.'

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttarakhand MLA Ganesh Joshi claims he did not attack a police horse during a protest rally against corruption in the Congress government as was widely reported.

The incident led to nationwide criticism of the legislator, with calls for his dismissal from the BJP growing by the minute.

During the rally, a video was circulated showing Joshi, an MLA from Mussoorie, beating the horse with a lathi. The horse suffered fractures on its leg in the fracas and underwent surgery. Joshi now claims the video was doctored.

Joshi, below, left, spoke to Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com

You have been saying that the controversy was meant to trap you.

This is a political fight. When the incident happened, I was not present at the site. Zee TV has showed the correct video (about what happened).

Are you suggesting that the Congress government in Uttarakhand targeted you?

They have done it because I am a very popular BJP leader in my constituency. They wanted to spoil my image and therefore they filed this case against me.

They are calling me an accused without even an inquiry. This is a politically motivated drama.

If this horse incident would have not happened, the headlines in the newspaper would have said that the BJP protest was attended by 25,000 people.

They wanted to divert that news and therefore they said the 'horse was beaten by a BJP leader.'

Weren't you at the site when the horse was beaten?

I was not there. When this incident happened, one of my workers was trampled by one of the police horses and I left with him.

This incident (where the horse's leg was broken) happened 15 minutes later.

The video was fabricated and doctored, now the truth is coming out.

Are you saying that the video of you beating the horse is doctored?

Yes. They (the Congress party) clubbed two videos. The first video (external link) shows the horses trampling on the BJP workers. One worker was hospitalised.

I was called by my workers and I reached the spot. I took a lathi from a policeman and hit them (the police) so that they should not come ahead and trample our workers. The matter ended there.

After 15 minutes, that horse was standing at the barricade. At that time there was a commotion due to which the horse fell and hurt its leg.

The Congress government clubbed these two videos and showed it like I beat up the horse. Anyone who had not seen the second video would have believed that I am the culprit.

You are saying the horse fell down when you were not around?

Yes. in the second video (external link) you will see a man in a white shirt pulling the stick of the policeman who is sitting on the horse.

As soon he pulls the stick, the horse falls, breaking its leg.

Now the chief minister (Harish Rawat) is saying he will order an inquiry. I am telling him that you have already filed a case against me without verifying the truth.

Even the senior superintendent of police has said that the horse did not fall due to a lathi attack.

There are reports that you are planning to adopt the horse.

No, I had only gone to see the horse. I love animals and have pets at home. I have been in politics for the last 32 years and I feel hurt that I am being blamed wrongly.

If you have been falsely accused, why are you not filing a counter case against the Congress government in Uttarakhand?

I will do that. I am consulting my lawyers.