'What is he? Gujarat's Hitler?': Man who slapped Hardik Patel explains why he did so

The man who slapped Congress leader Hardik Patel during the latter’s poll rally in Gujarat’s Surendranagar on Friday said that he did so to teach the latter a lesson.

The man, identified as Tarun Gajjar, a resident of Kadi town of Mehsana district, suffered injuries after he was thrashed by Congress workers, Patel supporters and others at the rally venue for slapping Patel.

“My wife was pregnant when Patidar agitation happened, she was undergoing treatment at a hospital, I had faced problems then, I had decided then, I'll hit this man. I have to teach him a lesson anyhow,” Tarun was quoted by ANI as saying.

“Then again during his rally in Ahmedabad when I had gone to get medicine for my child, everything was shut down. He shuts down the roads, he shuts down Gujarat whenever he wants to, What is he? Gujarat's hitler?” he added.

As soon as Hardik Patel started his speech at Baldana village under Wadhwan taluka, Gajjar suddenly came on the stage and slapped him.

The incident was captured in cameras of news channels covering the event in the district, around 130km from Ahmedabad.

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

Gajjar appeared angry and was seen saying something to Patel after slapping him.

Gajjar was overpowered by Congress workers, Hardik Patel supporters and others present at the rally, who also beat him up.

The police intervened and freed Gajjar and took him to a safer place in their vehicle, said Jethi.

In a video of the incident, Gajjar can be seen being mercilessly thrashed by both women and men, who also tore his cloths, before policemen intervened and took him away.