Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh on Sunday, 27 September expressed regret over slapping an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) worker at a road construction site in the Vikaspuri area, saying the worker had allegedly abused his family and was involved in obstructing government officials and a contractor while damaging a freshly laid stretch of the Outer Ring Road.

What Triggered the Incident

Minister Sahib Singh said he had visited the Vikaspuri site to personally verify allegations of poor road quality that had been circulating on social media. He claimed he also invited the local AAP legislator, Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh, to the site for a reality check. According to the Minister, instead of a constructive inspection, the MLA arrived with a group of supporters who allegedly attempted to provoke those present, with abuses directed at the Minister's family.

Sahib Singh alleged that Jarnail Singh had been running a campaign to tarnish the image of the Delhi government and the contractor by deliberately damaging the newly laid tar road and characterising the work as the result of 'poor quality' construction.

Minister's Response on X

Sahib Singh posted both a written message and a video on X within hours of the clip going viral, saying he wanted to present what he called the 'complete picture' behind the incident. 'Listen to the full truth behind today's incident... but what happened should not have happened,' he wrote, simultaneously acknowledging the slap and defending the context that led to it.

In the video, he alleged that the AAP area legislator had been demanding a bribe from the contractor engaged in building the road. 'The contractor has filed a police complaint over the issue,' he said.

Bribery Allegation and Police Complaint

The Minister alleged that the obstruction at the site was linked to a wider pattern of interference by AAP leaders who were uncomfortable with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government completing projects left unfinished during the previous administration. He said attempts to spread misinformation and extract commissions from contractors or officers would not be tolerated. A police complaint, reportedly filed by the contractor, is said to be under examination.

AAP's Version and the Viral Clip

MLA Jarnail Singh posted a video clip of Saturday's incident on his X account, along with an earlier recording in which he had raised questions about the quality of road construction. The clip showing the alleged slap circulated widely before the Minister's clarification emerged. AAP has not, as of the latest reports, issued a formal response to the bribery allegations.

PWD Quality Audit Promised

To address public concern over road quality, Minister Sahib Singh announced that the PWD would order a formal quality audit and conduct checks on the Vikaspuri stretch. He reiterated that political obstruction and corruption would not be permitted to delay infrastructure delivery. The episode adds to a string of confrontations between the ruling BJP and the opposition AAP over road and civic works in the capital.