Rawat refuses to withdraw case against #BJP #MLA

Dehradun, Mar 16 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat today refused to withdraw a case against BJP MLA from Mussoorie Ganesh Joshi for allegedly attacking a horse during a protest by the party here saying the state government will not interfere in police’s work.

Responding to a demand by BJP members during Zero Hour in the state Assembly to withdraw the case lodged against Joshi in connection with the incident, Rawat said police had lost a well trained bodyguard with injuries to the horse which had long been in police deployment in the state.

The Chief Minister said he believed that the state government should not interfere in police’s work and should allow the force to work independently.

On BJP’s charge that atrocities were perpetrated on its workers by mounted police, Rawat said in his view police discharged its duties well without losing restraint.

“Every political party has a tendency to overdo things during a protest rally. It is normal. But attacking and injuring a horse is a matter of concern. Even a BJP leader called me up from Washington to express his concern over the incident,” he said.

Rawat also rejected BJP’s charge that the media reported the matter in a lopsided manner, saying it was not a subject of the House.

Earlier, BJP members Madan Kaushik, Banshidhar Bhagat and Joshi himself had demanded withdrawal of the case saying the Mussoorie MLA was being framed.

Joshi said he had only hit the ground with a bamboo stick in front of the horse in an effort to scare it away whereas one of its hind legs had been injured.

The incident had sparked an outrage.