Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma faced criticism on Sunday after a video purportedly showing him slapping a man during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar surfaced on social media, prompting AAP leaders to demand his arrest.
The incident occurred when Verma was inspecting a newly laid road following complaints about its quality. AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, who was at the site, pulled out portions of the road surface by hand and questioned its construction.
A young man standing nearby was recording the proceedings when Verma allegedly slapped him. Singh later shared the video on social media, alleging that the minister had no response to questions over the quality of the road and instead assaulted the person filming the inspection.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who also shared the video on X, alleged that Verma lost his composure after local residents questioned the road's construction. He said he would visit Tilak Nagar on Monday to inspect the road.
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Verma left the site after the incident. Leader of Opposition Atishi demanded his arrest, alleging that public money had been spent on a "poor quality" road.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the incident reflected a failure to respect people who question alleged corruption, while MLA Kuldeep Kumar alleged that Verma was "acting like a goon rather than a minister" and sought immediate police action.
Verma rejected the allegations, saying the video circulated by the AAP had been presented without context. He alleged that Singh had demanded a commission from the road contractor.
Verma said Singh had initially complained about poor construction, following which he visited the site and asked the MLA to join him. He alleged that Singh instead called AAP workers who abused him and his family, prompting him to react in a manner "any common man would do".
On the road's quality, Verma said the Delhi government would conduct an independent audit, including core-cutting tests, to determine whether the construction met the required standards. He also said attempts to obstruct government work or demand commissions would not be tolerated.
The controversy centres on competing claims about both the road's construction and the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault. The video shared by Singh shows him removing portions of the newly laid surface by hand while Verma is present at the site.
(With inputs from PTI)
