'Couldn't handle reality of road, knew he would be exposed': Tilak Nagar youth alleges Parvesh Verma assaulted him
A youth in Tilak Nagar claims BJP leader Parvesh Verma slapped him after a road inspection went wrong. AAP leaders protest as police refuse FIR.
A heated confrontation in Tilak Nagar has escalated into a major political standoff after a local youth, Sahib Singh, alleged that Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma physically assaulted him during a road inspection. Singh claims the incident occurred because the Minister could not face the crumbling reality of the local infrastructure.
'Road crumbled like a papad'
According to Sahib Singh, the encounter began when the quality of the road was put under scrutiny. Singh alleged that the Minister was caught off guard by the poor state of the construction. "Parvesh Verma had no idea he would be exposed. He did not expect the reality of the road to come to light," Singh told ANI.
Singh described a dramatic moment where the Minister reportedly picked up a piece of the road, only for it to disintegrate. "It crumbled in his hand like a 'papad'... he couldn't handle it," the youth claimed. The allegations grew more serious as Singh asserted that the Minister then snatched his mobile phone, twisted his arm, and slapped him. He further alleged that BJP supporters accompanied the Minister to threaten and beat him.
Political Storm and Police Detentions
The incident has triggered a massive political row in the national capital. Following the circulation of a video purportedly showing the assault, members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a protest demanding immediate legal action. The situation turned tense as Delhi Police detained several high-profile leaders, including:
- Saurabh Bhardwaj: AAP Delhi President
- Kuldeep Kumar: AAP MLA
- Various other AAP party workers
Saurabh Bhardwaj expressed outrage over the police response, claiming that despite video evidence, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the Minister. "Under the protection of the Delhi Police, BJP minister Parvesh slapped a young man in broad daylight," Bhardwaj posted on X, alleging that senior officers also misbehaved with women activists during the protest.
The Minister's Counter-Allegations
Parvesh Verma has denied the wrongdoing and shifted the blame onto the protesting party. In a video statement released on X, the Minister claimed that AAP supporters had targeted his family with verbal abuse.
Verma defended his actions by stating that when a worker began hurling abuses at his family, he reacted in kind. He also leveled accusations against the opposition, claiming that AAP leaders had previously demanded commissions from officials involved in road projects. "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 remarked.
As the standoff continues, the youth and AAP leaders remain adamant, demanding the resignation of the Minister and the immediate registration of an FIR to prevent what they describe as escalating "hooliganism."