Hardik Patel slapped at poll rally in Gujarat

Congress leader Hardik Patel was slapped by an unidentified man while addressing a poll rally on Friday (April 19) in a village in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district. Hardik later filed a complaint in this regard with the Surendranagar police, said an ANI report.

The incident was captured on cameras of news channels covering the rally in the district, around 130 km from here.

As soon as Hardik started his speech at Baldana village under Wadhwan taluka, a man suddenly came up the stage and slapped him. The man, who looked angry and was seen saying something to Hardik after slapping him, was overpowered by Congress workers, who beat him up and took him away from the venue. The unidentified man was later handed over to the police.

Congress candidate for the Surendranagar Lok Sabha seat, Soma Patel, was present on the dais when Hardik was assaulted.

According to Surendranagar SP, Mahendra Bagadia, the man is yet to be identified. “We are yet to investigate who the man was and why he slapped Hardik. We are investigating the matter,” said Bagadia.