Horse thrashing row: BJP worker arrested for assaulting 'Shaktiman'

A man was arrested from Haldwani in Nainital district on Friday for pulling up the reins of a police horse and precipitating its fall during a protest march by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the city recently.

Identified as Pramod Bora, a BJP worker, the man was arrested from Mukhani area of Haldwani on a requisition by Dehradun police, Nainital SSP Sweety Agarwal told PTI on phone.

He has been handed over to a police team from Dehradun and is being taken to the state capital, she said.

The man has been arrested for forcefully pulling the bridle of the horse and causing its fall at the protest venue which left it injured, Dehradun SSP Sadanand Daate told PTI.

The horse in fact fell with its entire weight on its hind quarters under the combined impact of BJP’s Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi’s alleged frontal attack with a lathi and Bora pulling up its reins from one side, he explained.

When asked about the horse’s condition who was operated upon by a team of vets a day after the incident, the SSP said it is still in pain and cannot stand.

"Army doctors are attending on the horse. We are doing everything we can to help it recover fully from the injuries," Daate said.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat also expressed concern at the condition of the horse.

"We are worried about the horse as it is still in pain and cannot stand on its feet.

However, it is being looked after properly.

Let people decide who is wrong,"  he said.

The Police horse named 'Shaktiman' was allegedly attacked by Joshi during a protest march held in Dehradun on March 14.

The animal suffered fractures in one of his hind legs during the protest.

An FIR had been lodged at Nehru Colony police station against the BJP MLA and his associates in connection with the incident.