No FIR Registered Against Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma After The Slapping Incident

No FIR has been registered against the Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma after he allegedly slapped a man during a road inspection, Hindustan Times reported quoting a senior police official on Monday.

Delhi minister Parvesh Verma faced mounting criticism after the video went viral on social media, triggering an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) protest and competing complaints.

AAP leaders Saurabh Bhardwaj, Jarnail Singh and Kuldeep Kumar protested in west Delhi, demanding a case against the minister. The leaders were detained during the demonstration. Bhardwaj later alleged that the police were protecting Verma instead of acting on the complaint.

“We are locked up in Jafar Pur Kalan police station with Raja Singh and his son Saheb Singh. Instead of registering an FIR against Pravesh Verma, the police is providing him protection,” Bhardwaj said in a post on X.

The Slap Incident

The confrontation took place on Sunday during an inspection of a newly laid road in the Vikaspuri-Tilak Nagar area. AAP MLA Jarnail Singh was at the site and questioned the quality of the construction, pulling out a portion of the road surface by hand.

A video from the spot shows a man identified as Saheb Singh recording the proceedings. Verma is seen moving towards him, pushing down his phone and appearing to slap him. People nearby then intervene.

AAP MLA said the man was recording the inspection when the incident occurred and rejected allegations that he had abused the minister. Saheb Singh also denied abusing Verma, according to The Indian Express.

Verma Says He Was Provoked

Verma has defended his conduct, saying the viral footage did not capture the full context. He alleged that a worker accompanying Singh abused his family.

“When one of his (MLA Jarnail Singh) workers started hurling abuses at my family, I reacted just as anyone would in the heat of the moment,” Verma said.

He also accused Singh of pressuring PWD engineers and seeking a “commission” from the contractor. Verma alleged that Singh later damaged the road and recorded videos alleging corruption because the demand was not met. Singh has rejected the allegations.

Opposition Steps Up Attack

The incident drew criticism from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who accused the Delhi government of allowing “arrogance of power” to become a problem.

“When arrogance of power reaches its peak, oppression and humiliation of the people become a habit,” Kharge said in a post on X.

“Delhi’s ministers are slapping youth. Under Amit Shah’s watch, youth were baton-charged at Jantar Mantar. Before that, a minister’s son ran over farmers with his car. A central minister said, ‘goli maro’,” he added.

The Delhi BJP called the incident “unfortunate” and said Verma had acknowledged that his action was wrong. BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, however, questioned Singh’s conduct during the inspection, saying the AAP MLA had arrived with supporters despite being informed about the minister’s visit.