Congress MLA Amba Prasad, 28, rode a horse to Jharkhand Assembly.

The MLA said a retired army officer gifted the horse to her.

“The Indian breed horse was gifted to me on Monday morning by Col. Ravi Rathore on the occasion of International Women’s Day,” Amba, the youngest MLA in the Assembly, said.

“I was a keen horse rider while I was in Delhi preparing for UPSC and knew colonel sahab.

“He expressed his desire to gift me the horse after he came to know that I have become a youth icon and elected as a MLA,” said the Barkagaon MLA, who had to discontinue her preparation for UPSC exams in Delhi mid-way and learn law to defend her parents in the Hazaribagh Court.

Amba is the daughter of former MLA from Barkagaon Nirmala Devi and Yogendra Sao and was only 28 years when she was elected in the 2019 Assembly elections.

Both her parents have been charged by the erstwhile BJP-led Jharkhand government for raising the issue of displacement due to forceful land acquisition for a NTPC project in Barkagaon.

Sao is a former minister and had been part of the Jharkhand cabinet.

During the protest over land acquisition, police firing had claimed the lives of four people.

Amba who has completed MBA and completed LLB has already set up goals to promote horse riding, polo and equestrian in Jharkhand.

“It was a surprise that a person of repute like Col. Rathore would bring the horse all the way from Delhi (it was brought in an animal ambulance) and gift it to me.

“I will try to do my best to fulfil the faith shown by the Indian Polo Association and gradually promote horse riding, polo and equestrian in the state of Jharkhand,” she said.

Arjuna award recipient Col. Rathore was a commandant of the 61st Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army and has recently retired and is the secretary of the Indian Polo Association.

He has been an integral part of the Indian polo team for five consecutive World Cup championships and won two gold medals in 2011 and 2017.

Amba, agreed that she would have to take extra care of the horse.

“It is of the royal breed and was used by Maharaja Pratap Singh.

“I will not be riding it to the Assembly, but will surely riding it early in the morning as I have a passion for horse riding and would like to encourage young people to take up this hobby and also improve infrastructure for it in the state,” the MLA said.