BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi may claim that it is political vendetta, but the fact remains that he along with several workers from the party injured a horse, causing it to break one of its hind legs in several places. The incident, which took place in Dehradun during a protest, was captured on camera. Footage shows Joshi attacking the horse with a lathi, while another man pulled at the horse’s reins, causing it to fall down.
An operation involving 10 doctors took place a few days after the incident on January 14. The horse named Shaktimaan now has a temporary prosthetic, while a generous benefactor in the US has decided to donate a proper prosthetic for it. But these are still early days. There was a lot of tissue loss and this could mean further complications. A horse sleeps standing up, which means that Shaktimaan hasn’t been sleeping at all, as a result of which his health will be deteriorating. The hind legs also support a major portion of the horse’s weight, which means that the prosthetic will have to be really effective.
Besides the unnecessary injury to the horse, what makes matters worse is that under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act the perpetrators can get away with a fine of Rs 50. There is an urgent need to amend the act. However, Joshi has been booked under Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code, which could attract imprisonment of up to five years. Sadly, history has shown that here in India, one can get away with just about anything. Shaktimaan deserves better than that.
