NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the BJP over a video showing Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh appearing to slap a man during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar, linking the incident to his broader “vote chori” campaign and alleging that electoral victory had made the ruling party fearless of voters.The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “vote theft buys not just the result, but the arrogance that follows”.“A BJP minister from the Delhi government is seen slapping a young man in a video. His crime? He was making a video. A road was being dug up right in front of the minister, and he had a camera in his hand,” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.“This is the face of a power that no longer fears the voters,” he said.Gandhi further said, “Ask a question on the street – a slap. Ask a question on paper leaks – a lathi charge. Ask a question in Parliament – the mic is switched off. These people do this because they no longer fear that elections can remove them.”“Vote theft buys this – not just the result, but the arrogance that follows,” he said.“A government that takes victory for granted doesn’t need your consent – it demands your silence and ‘andhbhakti’,” Gandhi said.
Parvesh Verma responds to Rahul Gandhi
Responding to Gandhi’s post, the PWD minister said, “Rahul ji, aap rehne do bhai, aapko kuch nahi pata” (Rahul ji, please leave it brother, you don’t know anything).The remarks came amid a political row over a video showing Verma appearing to slap a man during a road inspection in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar.
What happened during road inspection?
The incident took place while Verma was inspecting a newly laid road in the area. AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, who was present at the spot, questioned the quality of the work and pulled out portions of the road surface by hand.A man standing nearby and recording the proceedings was then slapped by the minister, according to the video circulated by AAP leaders. TOI reported that the man, identified as Saheb Singh, said he was associated with Jarnail Singh and handled the MLA’s social media accounts.Saheb Singh told the police that he was recording the inspection when Verma allegedly snatched his phone and slapped him. Delhi Police has received his complaint and said it was verifying the facts.“I was recording a video of the inspection when Parvesh Singh snatched my phone and raised his hand at me, which is clearly visible in the video. His security personnel held my hand and grabbed me by the neck, and pulled me away,” Saheb Singh said.
Verma’s version of the incident
Parvesh Verma, however, alleged that the man had abused his family members and accused Jarnail Singh of seeking a commission in the road repair work.“When his (AAP MLA’s) worker abused my family, I did what any person would do after getting angry,” the minister said in a video message posted by the Delhi BJP on X.In another video message, Verma said the clip being circulated by AAP did not show the full context of the incident and accused Jarnail Singh of pressuring PWD engineers over the road project.“MLA Jarnail Singh had complained of poor road construction work, and when I visited the spot, I requested the AAP MLA to also come there,” he said.The PWD minister alleged that Jarnail Singh called AAP workers to the site and that they abused him and his family, leading him to react “in a manner any common man would”.Police said Saheb Singh has lodged a complaint against the minister at Vikaspuri police station, and the facts are being verified.(With PTI inputs)
