BY SONAM JOSHIINDIA From Mashable

An attack on an Indian police horse by a politician during a violent clash in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand has sparked outrage.

The 13-year-old horse named Shaktimaan was part of the Uttarkahand mounted police that were deployed to control a protest march by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The horse had been in the service of the Uttarakhand police for nearly a decade.

Soon after the march, videos and photographs showing the horse’s broken hind leg and a local BJP politician Ganesh Joshi attacking the horse went viral on social media. The police has now filed a case against the politician but Joshi has denied the charges, and said that the attack was politically motivated.

The horse was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was revealed that it had suffered multiple fractures on its left hind leg, which may have to be amputated. Local police officials said that it was unlikely that Shaktimaan would be able to do police work after the injury.

There were reports an animal welfare organisation called People for Animals had committed to caring for the horse for life.

IMAGE: Police horse Shaktimaan got his leg fracture after allegedly beaten by BJP MLA during a BJP rally at Vidhansabha, on March 14, 2016 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.IMAGE: VINAY SANTOSH KUMAR/HINDUSTAN TIMES/GETTY IMAGES

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