The Uttarakhand police horse Shaktiman has died after surviving on three legs for more than a month.
The horse was injured during the BJP protests in early march and had its leg amputated as the blood supply to broken legs had stopped.
The police had arrested the BJP MLA, Ganesh Joshi, who had allegedly hit the horse with cane during a protest on Monday.
Also Read | Cricketer Virat Kohli ‘disgusted’ on ‘cowardly’ attack against Shaktiman
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi too had written to Uttarakhand Director General of Police demanding strict action against the BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi for attacking a police horse.
The 13-year-old was “not responding to a prosthetic leg brought from the US”, say doctors. It spent the past few weeks at the police lines in Dehradun, where a group of policemen looked after him.
Twitter users have been posting condolences for the horse, which had become an international celebrity because of unfortunate circumstances.
Here are some messages.
#RIPShaktiman : you were a hapless victim of human hate and politics at its abysmal depths.
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) April 20, 2016
Sad…Shaktiman had become a symbol of an animal's resilience, hope he didn't suffer at the end. https://t.co/voU4B6H6Aa
— Suhasini Haidar (@suhasinih) April 20, 2016
Shaktiman dead. No words to express my sorrow, pain, anguish. People should not forget/punish those who are responsible for his death.
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) April 20, 2016
I love horses. But once a horse breaks its leg v diff to recover. What the BJP MLA did to Dehradun 's Shaktiman was barbaric & disgusting!
— Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) April 20, 2016
Shaktiman apparently died from post-surgery complications
— Bharti Jain (@bhartijainTOI) April 20, 2016
https://twitter.com/SRKianPrincess/status/722770211917688832
https://twitter.com/iamDodge/status/722769452853374976
#RIPShaktiman what happens now?? Will someone be held accountable
— bhupendra chaubey (@bhupendrachaube) April 20, 2016
How sad for shaktiman
— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) April 20, 2016