Youth says Minister Parvesh Verma slapped him over poor road reality

A youth in Tilak Nagar alleged that Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma slapped him after he exposed the poor condition of a road. AAP leaders protested, demanding an FIR, while Verma accused AAP workers of provoking him by abusing his family.

Youth's Allegations

A youth who alleged that he was slapped by Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar claimed that the minister "could not handle" the reality of the poor condition of the road and later assaulted him after snatching his phone. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, the youth, Sahib Singh, alleged that Verma did not expect the condition of the road to come to light and claimed that the minister assaulted him during the incident.

"Parvesh Verma had no idea he would be exposed. He did not expect the reality of the road to come to light. At that moment, the MLA picked up a piece of the road, and it crumbled in his hand like a 'papad'... he couldn't handle it. He snatched my phone, twisted my arm, and slapped me. Afterwards, he had the BJP goons accompanying him beat and threaten me; he issued threats himself as well," he said.

Questioning the incident, Singh said, "Can no one even ask a question these days? What are the youth of the country supposed to do?" He further alleged that his complaint was accepted by police, but an FIR was not registered against the minister.

"A copy of our complaint was accepted, but an FIR is not being registered against the Minister. We demand that, at the very least, an FIR be registered against him, and appropriate further action be taken," he said.

AAP Protests, Demands FIR

The allegations came after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders shared a purported video claiming that Verma slapped a local youth during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar. Following the incident, Delhi Police on Sunday detained AAP Delhi President Saurabh Bhardwaj, AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar and other party workers during a protest against the Delhi government and PWD Minister Parvesh Verma over the alleged slapping incident. The protest was held after AAP leaders demanded registration of an FIR against the minister.

During the protest, an AAP worker said, "Until an FIR is registered against Parvesh Verma, we will not move from here. Parvesh Verma should resign."

Saurabh Bhardwaj Slams Police Inaction

Bhardwaj, in a post on X, alleged that the Delhi Police did not register an FIR despite the presence of video evidence. "Under the protection of the Delhi Police, BJP minister Parvesh slapped a young man in broad daylight. The police did not even register an FIR in this matter. When we went to the DCP office to demand answers about this, the senior officers misbehaved with the women activists and arrested me along with hundreds of workers. In the end, who should we now turn to for hope in justice?" he said.

While addressing the gathering, Bhardwaj had said he had spoken to the SHO regarding the matter. "The SHO called me a short while ago asking if I was on my way, and I confirmed that I was. I asked if an FIR had been registered yet. The SHO said, 'Sir, I am conducting an inquiry.' I told him, 'It happened right before your eyes; what is there to inquire about? It all took place in your presence.' Yet, the police still haven't registered an FIR," he said.

Bhardwaj alleged that the matter was not limited to FIR registration and claimed that inaction would encourage "hooliganism" by BJP members. "It’s not just about the FIR; if BJP members engage in hooliganism like this, even getting caught on camera and while acting as thugs right in front of the police, and no FIR is filed, their hooliganism will only escalate," he said.

Parvesh Verma's Counter-Allegation

Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma claimed that AAP workers abused his family and misbehaved with them. In a video statement posted on X, Verma alleged that supporters of AAP MLA Jarnail Singh misbehaved and hurled verbal abuses at his family.

"When one of their workers started hurling abuses at my family, any individual who comes and does that in such a situation, I did the same. I want to tell the Aam Aadmi Party that you couldn't do this work, and today our government is doing it, which is why you have a stomachache," Verma said.

He further alleged that the AAP MLA demanded commissions from officials involved in road projects and said, "If anyone says anything to my family, or if anyone tries to obstruct our work, causes damage to our property, or demands commissions from our officials—which the Aam Aadmi Party MLA did—this is something we will not tolerate."

Verma also claimed that an official complaint and an FIR had already been registered against the MLA and his associates over alleged obstruction of public works. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)