Rahul Gandhi Calls Delhi Minister's Slap 'Face of Power That No Longer Fears Voters'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday criticised Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma for slapping a young man who was recording him during a road inspection, describing the incident as evidence of a government that has stopped fearing the electorate.

In a post on X, Gandhi said the man's only fault was that he was filming, while a road was being dug up in front of the minister. "This is the face of a power that no longer fears the voters," he wrote.

Gandhi broadened his attack by linking the episode to other recent events. He said that asking a question on the street invites a slap, raising the issue of paper leaks leads to a lathi charge, and questioning in Parliament results in the microphone being switched off. The reference to a lathi charge appeared to point to the police action against students marching to Parliament over the NEET paper leak on the opening day of the Monsoon Session on July 20.

He also referred to a report claiming that two Election Commissioners had objected multiple times in ten months to decisions and orders of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar relating to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Gandhi suggested that "vote chori" gives such leaders the confidence to act as they please, arguing that a government which takes victory for granted demands silence rather than consent.

Reacting to the criticism, Verma urged Gandhi to stay away from the matter, saying he did not know the facts.

The confrontation unfolded on Sunday when AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, in the presence of Verma, the Public Works Department Minister, peeled off a freshly laid road during an inspection and held up the pieces. Singh asked the minister what he had to say after the road was torn up. Verma responded that Singh should not speak wrongly, adding that the road had not been built in 15 years and was now being constructed. Singh retorted that the surface would not last even 15 hours.

As Verma began leaving, Singh followed him to his car with the road chunks. Singh's assistant, Sahib Singh, was recording the two leaders. In the video, Verma is seen pulling down the young man's mobile phone with his left hand and slapping him with his right.

Verma later posted a video explaining his side, saying Singh arrived with workers who began misbehaving and that one of them abused his family, prompting his reaction. The victim told a news agency that he had filed a complaint against the minister, alleging that his phone was snatched and that security personnel also pushed him. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded Verma's arrest over the incident.