Ahmedabad: The Congress on Friday urged the Election Commission to immediately provide security to Hardik Patel, hours after he was slapped by a man who alleged Patel was playing politics with the sentiments of the community. In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Gujarat, the GPCC asked the poll body to restore the Y category security cover of Patel, which was withdrawn in April 2018 after it was reportedly found that there was no threat to him.

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On Friday morning, when Patel was addressing an election rally described as a 'Jan Aakrosh Sabha' at Baldana village in Surendranagar district in Saurashtra region, a man, identified as Tarun Gajjar from Kadi town in North Gujarat, climbed up the stage and slapped him. An angry Gajjar was heard saying that 14 Patidar youngsters had been killed in 2015 during Hardik Patel's agitation for reservations to the community but now the latter was playing politics over it. 

"My wife was pregnant when Patidar agitation happened. She was undergoing treatment at a hospital, I had faced problems then. I had decided then that I'll hit this man. I have to teach him a lesson anyhow," Tarun Gajjar said. Patel, who later lodged a complaint at the Wadhvan police station, said: "This was the handiwork of the BJP and the party may someday send someone to shoot me but our fight will continue." 

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