Delhi Police Detain AAP Leaders After Minister Slapping Allegations

Delhi Police detained Saurabh Bharadwaj, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi unit chief, along with MLA Kuldeep Kumar and numerous party workers on Sunday during protests in New Delhi. The demonstrations followed the circulation of a social media video purportedly showing PWD Minister Parvesh Verma slapping a man who was recording a road inspection in Tilak Nagar. During that inspection, local MLA Jarnail Singh had questioned the quality of a newly laid road by pulling up portions of the surface by hand.

Bharadwaj and other AAP leaders demanded the resignation of Verma and the registration of a First Information Report (FIR), alleging the incident occurred in the presence of the Station House Officer. Bharadwaj accused the police of collusion and claimed that senior officers misbehaved with women activists when protesters sought answers at the DCP office.

Parvesh Verma denied the allegations, asserting that AAP workers and supporters of MLA Jarnail Singh verbally abused his family and attempted to extort commissions for the road project. Verma stated he reacted to the abuse and confirmed that an official complaint and FIR have been registered against the MLA and his associates for obstructing public works.