New Delhi: BJP leader and Delhi cabinet minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma found himself in the middle of a controversy on Sunday as he purportedly slapped a man, who claims to work in the social media team of an AAP MLA, during a road inspection exercise in West Delhi’s Tilak Nagar when the person tried to record a video.
The incident happened Sunday afternoon, with a video clip being widely circulated on social media. AAP leaders, including its convener Arvind Kejriwal and local MLA Jarnail Singh, condemned the incident. Kejriwal demanded the arrest of Delhi’s Public Works Department minister.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also slammed Verma, saying the incident shows the BJP no longer fears the voter. “Vote theft buys this – not just the result, but the arrogance that follows.”
दिल्ली की BJP सरकार के एक मंत्री वीडियो में एक नौजवान को थप्पड़ मारते दिख रहे हैं।
उसका गुनाह? वो वीडियो बना रहा था।
मंत्री के सामने सड़क खोदकर दिखाई जा रही थी, और उसके हाथ में कैमरा था।
ये उस सत्ता का चेहरा है जिसे अब वोटर से डर लगना बंद हो गया है।
सड़क पर सवाल पूछो – थप्पड़।…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 27, 2026
Verma later released a video statement on social media, claiming AAP workers were hurling abuses at his family during the road inspection exercise. “Listen to the full truth behind today’s incident… but what happened should not have happened,” he titled it.
“Jarnail Singh arrived with his own workers who had been informed in advance, and he immediately began behaving rudely. One of his workers started hurling abuses at my family,” Verma claimed in the video.
Later, he shared another video. “My sole purpose is to carry out development work, and if anyone obstructs that, I will not tolerate it,” he said,
So far, no case has been registered by the police.
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‘Knocks the phone down, slaps the worker’
In the video, Verma is seen surrounded by people when he purportedly pulls down the man’s mobile phone with his left hand before allegedly slapping him on the face.
Aam Aadmi Party MLA Jarnail Singh condemned Verma’s conduct. “This is the BJP government’s PWD Minister from Delhi, the capital of India,” he said in a post on X.
यह भारत की राजधानी दिल्ली की भाजपा सरकार के pwd मिनिस्टर हैं
सड़क का निरीक्षण करने आए थे पर घोटाले ही घोटाले उजागर होते देखकर आपा खो बैठे और वीडियो रिकॉर्ड करने वाले मेरे साथी को के साथ गुंडागर्दी कर बैठे..@ArvindKejriwal @narendramodi @AamAadmiParty @gupta_rekha @p_sahibsingh… pic.twitter.com/VR5iVQLtQH
— Jarnail Singh (@JarnailSinghAAP) September 27, 2026
“He had come to inspect the road, but upon seeing scam after scam being exposed, he lost his cool and ended up indulging in thuggery with my colleague who was recording the video,” he alleged.
आज की घटना के पीछे की पूरी सच्चाई सुनिए…लेकिन जो हुआ वो नहीं होना चाहिए था । pic.twitter.com/qWnMkPQtnJ
— Parvesh Sahib Singh (@p_sahibsingh) September 27, 2026
Talking to ThePrint, Jarnail Singh said Verma called him to check the condition of roads. The MLA said he believed the minister would inspect the road, check the quality, and “perhaps take action against the PWD officials” for the “poor” quality of work.
“When he asked me to point out where the road was breaking down, I showed him how the entire road surface was peeling off like a carpet; instead of taking action, he pulled the mobile phone, slapped the person who was recording the incident and fled the scene,” Singh alleged.
Saheb, the victim, manages the social media handles of the AAP MLA.
“We came here after the PWD department called us to inspect the condition of this road. I showed him how the road surface was breaking apart. When this was pointed out, the minister couldn’t handle it. He raised his hand against me. There were police personnel right there, and all of this happened in their presence,” Saheb said, adding that he wants an apology from the minister.
Work on road already in progress
In his video statement, Verma said construction work has been underway on the Vikaspuri Ring Road for several days. Jarnail Singh had been “pressuring” PWD engineers for quite some time to introduce him to the contractor and arrange “commission” for him, the minister claimed.
“Our engineer has lodged a complaint at the police station and is getting an FIR registered. Because Jarnail Singh did not receive any commission, he would go to the site in the morning, after the road was laid at night, and tear it up. He would then record and post videos claiming that corruption was taking place.”
Parvesh Singh said that while he was passing through that route on Sunday, he told the engineers that he wanted to inspect the work himself.
“When I stopped and examined the site, I saw that the work was progressing very well. Residents told me that this road had not been built for 15 years; it was finally being constructed after a decade-and-a-half,” he said.
“I personally called the local MLA, Jarnail Singh, three times. I waited for him for 45 minutes. I had not called any of our own party workers to the site.”
Further, he claimed that when Jarnail Singh arrived, he came with his party workers, and he immediately began “behaving rudely.”
“When one of his workers started hurling abuses at my family, I reacted just as anyone would in the heat of the moment. I want to tell the Aam Aadmi Party that our government is doing today what you failed to accomplish; that is why it is causing you such heartburn…”
In a post accompanying his second video, Verma said his visit was proceeding peacefully, “and I personally called AAP MLA Jarneil Singh three times to invite him. I had only gone to inspect the road to the gurdwara with my engineer, because there is an event at the gurdwara on October 5, and this road hadn’t been built for 15 years.”
“But the MLA showed up with his history-sheeter goons, resorted to abusive and indecent language, and turned violent. My sole purpose is to carry out development work, and if anyone obstructs that, I will not tolerate it,” he said.
AAP reacts
AAP chief Kejriwal announced he will go to Tilak Nagar on Monday “and inspect this road”. “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.”
मंत्री को गिरफ्तार करो।
मैं कल यहाँ जाऊँगा। https://t.co/ER3whnWMnA
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 27, 2026
Former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj framed the incident as “BJP Vs the GenZ”.
BJP Vs GenZ
Lathis for Youth at Jantar Mantar
Pallet Guns for those who Question
Slapping Youth at Tilak Nagar & hiding behind Police
BJP Leaders like Parvesh Verma cannot tolerate GenZ which demands accountability from BJP Govt. pic.twitter.com/7NJwHV398u
— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) September 27, 2026
“Lathis for youth at Jantar Mantar. Pallet guns for those who question. Slapping youth at Tilak Nagar and hiding behind the police. BJP leaders like Parvesh Verma cannot tolerate Gen Z, which demands accountability from the BJP govt,” he said.
This is an updated version of the report
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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