Delhi minister Parvesh Verma slaps man filming him while inspecting broken road in west Delhi - The Indian Express

A drama unfolded on Sunday afternoon after a man accompanying AAP MLA Jarnail Singh and his party workers was allegedly slapped by Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma. The AAP workers were showing the minister the newly constructed road in the Vikas Puri area of West Delhi.

A video of the incident also surfaced on social media, showing Verma, along with his security personnel, visiting the newly constructed road site. Singh and other party workers pointed out the poor quality of the construction, claiming that the newly laid road was breaking apart and that pieces of it were coming off in their hands.

Read: https://t.co/cR9SKlSqwg pic.twitter.com/FRq7veQYJj

In the video, a man wearing a black T-shirt and trousers can be seen recording the proceedings on his mobile phone while Verma was walking along the road. As the man moved closer to Verma while recording, the minister appeared to slap him. AAP workers then took the man away from Verma and protested against what they described as the minister’s misbehaviour.

Local police personnel deployed at the site intervened and managed to control the situation, separating workers from both sides.

Soon after the video of the incident went viral, reactions from AAP leaders began pouring in.

AAP national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a post on X, “A minister of Modi ji slapped a young man publicly for exposing corruption in road construction. I will go to Tilak Nagar tomorrow and inspect this road.”

Verma, however, said that the AAP workers had abused his family, which led to the incident. He added that what happened should not have happened.

“Work has been underway on Vikaspuri Ring Road for the last few days. The MLA of that area Jarnail Singh has been requesting PWD officials to make him meet the contractor of the road and get some commission from him,” Verma said in a video posted by him on X, adding that the engineer is getting a FIR filed against him.

आज की घटना के पीछे की पूरी सच्चाई सुनिए…लेकिन जो हुआ वो नहीं होना चाहिए था । pic.twitter.com/qWnMkPQtnJ

“When I was passing through that road today, I told the engineers that I wanted to check the ongoing work. When I inspected the work, it turned out to be going well,” he stated, adding that he called Singh himself.

“I even waited for 45 minutes. I had not called BJP workers there, but when Jarnail Singh reached there, he came with his party workers. He started saying disrespectful things the moment he came,” Verma claimed, after which he said one of their worker abused his family. “I did what any person would do in that moment of anger,” he claimed further.

Jarnail Singh said that he would register a case against Verma over his behaviour and demanded action against the minister from the BJP-led Delhi government.

On Saturday, while highlighting the poor quality of the newly constructed road, Jarnail Singh wrote on X: “Demand Work Orders, Conduct Quality Checks. Transparency and quality are essential in every development project funded by public money. Demand the Work Order for the work happening around you, verify the work according to it, and if any shortcomings are found, raise a demand for Quality Control inspection. When the public becomes aware, asks questions, and ensures accountability, only then will there be improvement in the system.”

Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More