March 14, 2016
ANIMAL CRUELTY ADDED TO BJP CRIMES
Only days after Bonita, a street dog in Texas was left to die after some miscreants set off fireworks in her mouth, India has not lagged behind. During a protest march in Uttarakhand, BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi allegedly beat up a horse with a stick. The police horse, ‘Shaktiman’ was grievously injured and was brought back from the brink of death by veterinarians. They had to resort leg amputation to prevent the spread of gangrene.
The BJP protesters had attempted to jump over the barricades to escape the mounted police. The MLA from Mussoorie says that he was just tapping on the ground to scare the animal. But how does he explain the horse’s wounds and the new prosthetic leg, which is struggling to hold the 4 quintal heavy body?
He has been arrested, along with another accused and is currently under interrogation. His party members have been alleging that he has been kidnapped, but they probably just can’t grasp the meaning of being under arrest. BJP’s attempt to come to power in Uttarakhand may now be the only thing that can save him.
THE OTHER SIDE
CONGSPIRACY-GUILTY OR NOT
Not long after the Congress Government was overthrown in Arunachal Pradesh, the party has found a way of getting back in the controversy game. And it has done this by, you guessed it right, slandering the BJP.
BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi was accused of thrashing police horse ‘Shaktiman’ during a demonstration against corruption by BJP workers in Dehradun. He was arrested on Friday for inflicting serious injuries to the animal, one of whose hind legs had to be amputated.
His daughter has come out in strong support, saying that he was merely tapping the road with the stick to scare off ‘Shaktiman’. Her statement is supported by video evidence but there has been no move to release the MLA who was picked up unceremoniously from outside a hotel. The party has lodged a complaint, suggesting that Joshi was abducted as the police refuse to disclose his whereabouts.
The need for conducting interrogations in isolation for an animal rights case is questionable. It does not help matters when videos proving the Mussoorie MLA’s innocence are in circulation. Whether the police are enraged that one of their own was injured, or whether it is an opportunity for the Congress to slander the BJP, the case of a two pronged conspiracy is emerging strong.
April 22, 2016
Shaktiman, the Kathiawari mare, passed away yesterday, after 37 days of battle. He had not responded to the prosthetic leg and had succumbed to an infection. A US resident, Tim Mahoney had brought the leg for him to Dehra Dun on personal expenses. He had lost 70 kilos in the last one month and had even started to walk a bit. It came as a shock to all beholders that the recovering horse’s health took such an ugly turn. Uttarakhand caretaker Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who kept tabs on Shaktiman’s recovery, was among those who visited its enclosure after its death. Expressing condolences over the demise of Shaktiman, Ganesh Joshi said, “Very sad. I already said that I am not at fault, if found guilty then cut my leg.”
Guilty or not, the faithful horse lost its leg and the blame is here to stay.
Since you’re at it, you might like reading this:
http://edtimes.in/2015/09/behind-the-camera-scenes-with-peta.html
