NEW DELHI: A road-quality dispute in west Delhi has spiralled into a political and police showdown after a video purportedly showing PWD minister Parvesh Sahib Singh slapping a 22-year-old man triggered protests, counter-allegations and multiple police cases.The controversy began on September 27 when Verma inspected road repair work in Tilak Nagar.Jarnail Singh questioned the quality of the newly laid road and pulled out portions of its surface by hand. Sahib Singh, an associate of the MLA, was recording the proceedings when Verma allegedly slapped him, PTI reported.
Snatched phone, twisted arm: The allegations
Sahib Singh alleged that Parvesh Verma snatched his phone, twisted his arm and assaulted him after the condition of the road was highlighted.Verma disputed the allegations, saying the video did not show the full context. He claimed AAP workers had abused his family, triggering his reaction.He also accused Jarnail Singh of demanding commissions from officials involved in road projects.
“Not your father’s country”: AAP attacks, BJP defends
AAP leaders demanded Verma’s arrest and alleged corruption in the road project.Arvind Kejriwal said, “This is not your father’s country; you cannot slap someone like this… This country belongs to 140 crore people…,” while alleging that the road was of poor quality.The BJP defended Verma. Party media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor alleged that Jarnail Singh had brought around 50 AAP workers to the inspection and behaved in an “indecent and uncivilised manner”.
Protest at Delhi Police HQ
Police initially said five complaints had been received: one from Sahib Singh, two from PWD personnel against Jarnail Singh and others, and two from BJP workers over the alleged mistreatment of Verma.Subsequently, an NCR was registered against Verma under Section 115 of the BNS on Sahib Singh’s complaint, while an FIR was registered against Jarnail Singh on a PWD assistant engineer’s complaint.The row escalated after Delhi Police said an FIR had been registered over the alleged assault of a head constable recording the events in plain clothes.Police said AAP workers surrounded and assaulted him and that an FIR was also registered against Sahib Singh.AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj later sought an FIR against Verma, his associates and police personnel, alleging assault, destruction of evidence, death threats, molestation of women protesters and illegal detention.He also alleged police assaulted and choked him during a protest.Bharadwaj and Jarnail Singh were later detained while protesting outside Delhi Police headquarters, demanding an FIR against Verma.(With agency inputs)