A video showing Delhi Public Works Department minister Parvesh Verma apparently slapping a young man during a road inspection has triggered a political row, with the Aam Aadmi Party sharing the footage and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal calling for the minister's arrest.
The incident took place while Verma was inspecting a road. In the video, the minister is seen using his left hand to pull down the mobile phone of a young man who was recording him before appearing to slap him across the face with his right hand.
The young man then appears to get into a physical altercation with Verma. A security guard intervenes and separates the two as a small crowd gathers around them.
Video captures exchange during road inspection
A voice in the video can be heard saying, "Oye maar kaise raha hai" (How are you hitting).
Another person, who is not visible in the footage, is heard reacting to the incident, saying, "Are maar diya thappad, bhai. Bhai, thappad mar diya ji. Ye lo ji, video banate hue thappad mar diya" (Oh, he slapped him, man. Man, he actually slapped him. Look at that, he slapped him while the video was being recorded).
Another person in the crowd says, "Aam aadmi ko koi thappad nahi maar sakta" (No one can slap the common man).
The video does not establish the events immediately preceding the confrontation or what prompted the exchange.
The incident occurred amid a series of road inspections by Verma as the Delhi government steps up scrutiny of road construction and repair work. Earlier this month, the minister conducted a midnight inspection of resurfacing work on Africa Avenue and said the government was targeting 600 km of pothole-free roads by November 30.
AAP alleges minister ‘lost his cool’
AAP's Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh posted the video of the incident on X.
"This is the BJP government's PWD Minister from Delhi, the capital of India. 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," Singh said.
The allegation about scams was made by Singh in his post and was not independently established by the video.
Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also shared the AAP MLA's video and called for Verma's arrest.
The incident comes against the backdrop of political exchanges over road quality and infrastructure in Delhi. AAP leaders have recently criticised the BJP government over road projects, while the government has announced several road and drainage upgrades across the city.
Verma's road inspections and Delhi projects
Verma has recently conducted inspections of road and infrastructure projects across Delhi.
On September 20, he inspected the Burari Road and adjoining drainage works as part of a proposed ₹125 crore integrated upgrade of the 7.1-km Burari corridor from Outer Ring Road to Hiranki. The plan includes bituminous stretches and a reinforced cement concrete section between Baba Colony and Nathupura.
He has also inspected the long-delayed Barapullah Phase III project, which he said was scheduled to be inaugurated on September 29 by Union home minister Amit Shah and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta.
Separately, the Delhi government has been conducting additional checks on road construction, including plans for night inspections of roads being built in northeast Delhi to assess construction quality.