Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, got into a spat with Uttarakhand BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi over the death of police horse Shaktiman, while he was at the Dehradun airport on Sunday.
Joshi had been accused of assaulting a horse, which was part of Uttarakhand Mounted Police.The horse had succumbed to injuries after it lost one of its hind legs.
Speaking to ANI here, Vadra said that when he gave a piece of his mind to Joshi over the death of the animal, he was verbally abused by the BJP MLA.
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.
People at the airport said Vadra was alone while Joshi had come with his supporters.
The Mussoorie legislator claimed that he was at the airport to welcome Union minister Krishna Raj when suddenly a person standing next to him made remarks about the police horse.
Joshi had courted controversy earlier this year when Shaktiman was allegedly thrashed by him at a rally with the horse later succumbing to injuries.
"On inquiry, I came to know he was some Robert Vadra. When I said I dont know anyone by that name, he got offended and said you dont know me?" the MLA claimed.
Joshi said he and Krishna Raj left the airport following the incident.
"Later I got to know that Vadra stated that I misbehaved with him," Joshi said.
Asked if he had advanced aggressively towards Vadra during the exchange, the BJP leader said, "The CCTV cameras installed at the airport will make it clear who charged towards whom."
When contacted, Vadra refused to comment on the incident.
(PTI inputs)
