Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma is seen slapping a man filming a road inspection in Tilak Nagar, with the incident triggering demands from the AAP for his arrest and action against him.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, September 27: Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma is seen slapping a man who was filming a road inspection in Tilak Nagar in a video that surfaced on Sunday, triggering a political storm and demands from the Aam Aadmi Party for the minister’s arrest.
The incident took place during an inspection of a road whose construction quality was being questioned by local residents and AAP workers. The video shows Verma pulling down the man’s mobile phone with his left hand before appearing to strike him across the face with his right hand.
The man moves towards the minister immediately afterwards, but a security guard intervenes and separates the two as a crowd gathers around them. A voice in the video can be heard saying, “Oye, maar kaise raha hai” — “How are you hitting him?”
The footage has since been widely circulated by AAP leaders, who have accused the PWD minister of assaulting a person who was recording an inspection of a public road.
The immediate circumstances leading to the confrontation remain disputed, but reports from the spot indicate that the argument followed questions over the quality of the road work.
Shameful behaviour by Pravesh Verma
Parvesh Verma slaps cameraman
मंत्री @p_sahibsingh के सामने विधायक @JarnailSinghAAP ने रोड की असलियत दिखा दी ।
मंत्री ने बौखला कर एक कैमरा वाले को ही थप्पड़ मार दिया । पुलिस सुरक्षा में बच्चे पर हाथ उठाकर तुमने अपना घटियापन दिखा दिया । pic.twitter.com/S79oD7cbKG
— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) September 27, 2026
The man seen in the video has been identified in reports as Sahil, also referred to as Saheb. He said he handles social media for Tilak Nagar AAP MLA Jarnail Singh and had gone to the site after the PWD called them for the inspection.
According to his account, he showed Verma portions of the road where the surface was coming apart. He alleged that instead of addressing the issue, the minister raised his hand against him and that people accompanying Verma subsequently threatened to kill him.
“When this was pointed out, the minister couldn’t handle it; he raised his hand against me,” Saheb was quoted as saying. He also claimed that police personnel were present at the spot and that a complaint had been lodged. The Times of India reported his account, while independent confirmation of the FIR was not immediately available.
AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, who was present during the inspection, said he had pointed out portions of the road where the surface was coming off. He accused Verma of focusing on the person recording the inspection rather than answering questions about the quality of the work.
AAP leaders have described the incident as an attempt to intimidate people documenting alleged deficiencies in public works.
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A minister’s conduct under scrutiny
The episode raises a basic question of public accountability: if a PWD minister is inspecting government-funded road work and a member of the public is recording the inspection, what justification is there for physically confronting the person with a slap?
Verma’s own department has recently emphasised road quality and inspection. Earlier this month, the minister conducted a midnight inspection of resurfacing work on Africa Avenue and directed officials to ensure that prescribed quality standards were followed. The PWD has set a target of resurfacing and renovating 600 km of Delhi roads by November 30.
That makes Sunday’s incident particularly awkward for the minister: a road inspection intended to demonstrate accountability over public works instead produced footage of a minister apparently striking a person who was recording the proceedings.
Whatever the dispute preceding the incident, a public official cannot be allowed to substitute physical confrontation for an answer to questions about government work. If the person filming was trespassing, obstructing the inspection or otherwise violating the law, the appropriate response was to call the police or invoke the relevant legal procedure—not to take matters into one’s own hands.
AAP demands arrest
AAP leaders moved quickly to turn the incident into a larger political confrontation.
Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal shared the video and demanded Verma’s arrest.
Jarnail Singh also demanded police action and said he had called the emergency number 112. He alleged that the Vikaspuri SHO was present and helped Verma leave the spot. That allegation has not been independently established.
AAP leaders accused the BJP-led Delhi government of trying to suppress criticism of its road works and questioned how a minister responsible for public infrastructure could respond to criticism with physical force.
