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Shaktiman loses political patronage, statue removed in 2 days
Police horse Shaktiman has again fallen prey to politics. Fatally beaten up by a BJP MLA during a protest in March, Shaktiman’s plight had drawn a lot of people and politicians alike towards it but the statue of the horse erected close to the state Assembly two days ago apparently did not evoke the same feelings and it was removed in the wee hours on Tuesday.
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migrator
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Dehradun
Backlash on social media and protests over the decision to install the statue of the horse prompted the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority to remove the statue. However, the authority has refused to comment on it.
The statue was inaugurated on Ripasna Bridge two days ago following which there were protests by people who demanded that there should be statues for those who sacrificed their lives for the separate statehood movement and not for a horse. Apparently taking note of the sentiment, the statue was removed.
A statue of the police horse has also been established at the ‘Shaktiman Park’ in Police Lines here but it is also not without its share of controversy.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat was scheduled to inaugurate the statue sometime soon but now he has refused to do so, sources said.
However, the police officials said the Shaktiman Park statue will not be removed.
The 13-year-old horse was injured at a rally here on March 14, where BJP workers clashed with police and Joshi attacked Shaktiman, triggering an outrage.
When Shaktiman was injured, the BJP had accused the Congress government in Uttarakhand of trying to politicise the tragedy to turn public opinion against the Opposition. Ganesh Joshi, a BJP lawmaker accused of causing the fatal injuries, was arrested and then later granted bail.
Doctors from the country and outside had attended on the horse whose fractured hind leg had to be amputated.
After Shaktiman’s hind leg was amputated, he was fitted with a prosthetic limb brought from America. Shaktiman died on April 20 after allegedly being hit by BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi in March. But he did not survive. He was buried with police honours.
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