RAJKOT: BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Surendranagar Shankar Vegad was allegedly slapped in presence of a large gathering in Surendranagar town on Sunday.Vegad was invited at a mass marriage function organized by the Bharwad community. Just as he arrived to speak on the dais, a man identified as Rambhai Bharwad from the audience climbed the stage and snatched his mike. The man then slapped him and shouted, “What have you done for the Bharwad community?.” The man was quickly whisked away by the organizers’ team but no formal police complaint was lodged.Vegad lost balance but regained composure. He did not react to the assault and instead he continued addressing the people. An eye witness quoted him as saying, “People who are in public life do face such things.”Sources said that that incident was a fall-out of the simmering tension between Bharwad and Koli community that has often resulted in violent clashes in the district. Vegad belongs to the Koli community.While Vegad was not available for comments despite repeated attempts, Bharwad told TOI that he had no regrets slapping the MP. Bharwad, a native of Amrapar village near Thangadh, accused the MP of fuelling enmity between the Kolis and Bharwads for votebank politics. “Many Bharwads have migrated from the region due to frequent clashes,” said Bharwad, who works as a private security supervisor in a private firm in Thangadh.