- Minister Verma slapped man during road inspection in Delhi.
- Verma cited abusive family remarks as provocation for action.
- Accused MLA of seeking commissions from road contractors.
- Incident stemmed from ongoing dispute over road quality.
Delhi Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Verma has defended his actions after a video showing him slapping a man during a road inspection in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar went viral, saying he was provoked by alleged abusive remarks about his family.
In a video message, Verma said his visit to the area was initially peaceful and that he had personally called AAP MLA Jarnail Singh three times to invite him to the inspection.
“Today’s visit was proceeding peacefully, as can be seen in this video, and I personally called AAP MLA Jarnail Singh three times to invite him,” Verma said.
Verma Says Visit Was For Road Inspection
Verma said he had gone to inspect the road leading to a gurdwara along with a PWD engineer ahead of an event scheduled for October 5. He claimed the road had not been constructed for 15 years.
“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,” he said.
According to Verma, the situation escalated after Jarnail Singh arrived with people he described as “history-sheeter goons” and allegedly used abusive and indecent language.
“My sole purpose is to carry out development work, and if anyone obstructs that, I will not tolerate it,” the minister said.
‘I Reacted In Anger’ Says Delhi Minister
Verma also addressed the incident involving Jarnail Singh’s personal assistant, Sahib Singh, who was recording the exchange.
“When one of his (Jarnail Singh) workers started abusing my family, I reacted in anger the way anyone naturally would,” Verma claimed in the video message.
आज का दौरा शांतिपूर्वक चल रहा था जैसा इस वीडियो में दिखाई दे रहा है , और मैंने ख़ुद आप पार्टी के विधायक जरनैल सिंह को तीन बार फ़ोन करके बुलाया , मैं केवल अपने इंजीनियर के साथ गुरुद्वारे की रोड देखने गया था , क्योंकि 5 अक्टूबर को गुरुद्वारे में कार्यक्रम है और 15 साल से ये रोड… pic.twitter.com/BDjUSR3RUI
— Parvesh Sahib Singh (@p_sahibsingh) September 27, 2026
A video of the incident shows Verma pulling down the mobile phone of the man recording the exchange before slapping him. A person off-camera can be heard reacting to the incident.
The confrontation took place during Verma’s road inspection visit in Tilak Nagar, which Jarnail Singh represents in the Delhi Assembly.
Verma Accuses Jarnail Singh Of Corruption
Verma also accused the AAP MLA of attempting to pressure PWD engineers and seeking a commission from contractors. These allegations have been made by Verma and have not been independently established in the material provided.
“The local MLA, Jarnail Singh, had been pressuring engineers from the PWD department for several days, demanding that they connect him with the contractor so he could get a commission from them,” Verma alleged.
The minister said a PWD engineer had approached the police and filed a formal complaint seeking registration of an FIR against the MLA.
Verma further alleged that after Jarnail Singh did not receive a commission, he would visit road sites after asphalt was laid, dig up portions of the newly constructed road and post videos alleging poor quality or corruption.
Road Quality Row Escalates Between Verma, Jarnail Singh
The clash followed an earlier dispute between Verma and Jarnail Singh over the quality of road construction in Tilak Nagar.
Jarnail Singh was seen pulling at the newly laid road surface, with a portion coming off, while raising questions over the quality of the work.
Verma, meanwhile, said he personally inspected the ongoing work and found it to be progressing well. He also claimed local residents told him the road had not been constructed for 15 years.
“Perhaps the Aam Aadmi Party is upset that all the roads in Delhi that were neglected for 15 years are now being built,” Verma said.
The minister said he had called Jarnail Singh three times and claimed he waited for around 45 minutes for the AAP MLA to arrive.
The allegations and counter-allegations come amid a political confrontation over road construction in Tilak Nagar, with both sides questioning each other’s conduct and claims regarding the project.
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