Scuffle breaks out at Hardik Patel's public meeting in Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Apr 20: A poll rally of quota spearhead-turned Congress leader Hardik Patel was Saturday disrupted in Nikol area here allegedly by a section of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) members opposed to him.

Hardik was campaigning for Congress candidate Geeta Patel from Ahmedabad East seat.

Hardik was slapped on Friday at a rally in Baldana in Surendranagar district.

On Saturday night, four to five people, claiming to be supporters of jailed PAAS leader Alpesh Kathiriya, came to the venue at Virat Nagar in Nikol and shouted slogans for his release, eyewitness Jayesh Patel said.

"Supporters of Hardik present at the venue had an altercation with them and they were taken out of the rally. Police present at the venue intervened and escorted them out," he said.

"This is the handiwork of the BJP. They do not want me to campaign. Yesterday they had send a man who slapped me and today they send goons to disturb the rally," Hardik said.

BJP leader Dhansukh Bhanderi, however, refuted the allegations and said the incident was a fallout of an internal dispute within the Congress.

On Friday, one Tarun Gajjar had slapped Hardik at a rally in Surendranagar Lok Sabha constituency. Gajjar had later told police that he slapped Hardik as his pregnant wife had to face lot of difficulty due to violent agitation by Hardik and his supporters in the past.

PTI