Robert Vadra allegedly got an earful from Ganesh Joshi after championing the cause of Shaktiman.
Robert Vadra, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, allegedly got an earful from BJP's Uttarakhand lawmaker Ganesh Joshi after championing the cause of Shaktiman - the police horse that died in April.
Mr Joshi had been accused of instigating the attack on the horse, which broke its leg, from which the animal never recovered. Following television footage of the horse taking multiple blows, condemnation for its attackers had flooded the social media.
Dubbing Mr Joshi "Shaktiman killer," Mr Vadra told news agency ANI that he had met him at the Dehradun airport. Mr Joshi, he said, was at the airport to receive BJP minister Krishna Raj.
"I told him what I thought of him. He then came towards me screaming, shouting and threatening. But I told him that if the horse can't speak then I will," he said.
Mr Vadra further said Mr Joshi and his "goons" were later asked to leave the airport for creating a commotion.
Police horse Shaktiman lost a leg during a protest by the BJP in Dehradun. He died a fortnight later after failing to take to a prosthetic limb.
Shaktiman, a white horse deployed with the mounted police whose hind-leg was injured during a BJP protest rally, succumbed to his injuries on April 20.
Mr Joshi had been arrested on March 18 for allegedly attacking the horse and was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. Mr Joshi had denied any wrongdoing, saying, "I'm very sad. I was not at fault... if I am found guilty, then cut off my leg."
Following the horse's death, he had faced fresh criticism, with Union minister Maneka Gandhi saying Shaktiman was an officer on duty and Mr Joshi "should be arrested for killing a police officer".
While Mr Joshi has not been available for comment, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said, "Any Indian citizen has the right to have a point of view".
Mr Vadra, Mr Kohli said, does not wish to communicate on many of the issues that are addressed to him. "There are questions regarding his business and business dealings. Would be good if he speaks on them so that the nation knows what his views are on all these issues," he added.