New Delhi [India], September 29 : Several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers were detained during a protest at Delhi Police Headquarters on Tuesday while demanding registration of an FIR against Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma over an alleged slapping incident.
The protest comes amid a widening row in Tilak Nagar, where a Delhi Police head constable was allegedly assaulted while recording an AAP demonstration in plain clothes. Police have registered an FIR naming AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Jarnail Singh and AAP workers in connection with the alleged assault. A separate case has also been registered against Sahib Singh, police have said.

AAP leader Jarnail Singh, reacting to the FIRs registered against him, alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was misusing power and questioned why an FIR had not been registered against Minister Pravesh Verma over the alleged slapping incident involving a youngster. He said the incident was captured on camera and alleged that instead of acting against the minister, police were registering cases against him.
"Everyone saw it in broad daylight. The FIR should have been against the minister, but instead, an FIR was registered against me. How has the BJP created such a system in this country?" Singh said.
He claimed that he and AAP workers were detained multiple times while approaching police authorities with their complaints. Singh said, "For three days continuously, this Saheb Singh (victim) has been going to the police station regarding complaints and to file FIRs. We are going with him. The first day, we were detained at Jaffarpur Kalan police station and released late at night. Yesterday, we were detained at Dwarka Sector 23 police station, and today we were kept at Tilak Marg police station."
He further alleged that a person in plain clothes who was recording videos during the incident created a disturbance and questioned how they would know whether someone wearing jeans and a T-shirt was a police personnel or not. "If a person wearing jeans and a T-shirt comes to your group, pushes you and tries to shake your turban, how will you know whether he is a policeman? He was undercover," Singh said.
Accusing Delhi Police of acting under pressure, Singh said, "This uniform has respect and dignity. When you join duty, you take an oath that you will perform your duty impartially. But the way Delhi Police is taking action, it feels like inside the khaki uniform, RSS and Swayamsevak police are working, not police."
He said two FIRs had been registered against him in the last two days, while no case had been filed against Pravesh Verma. "Until an FIR is filed against Minister Pravesh Verma and he is arrested, our fight against this injustice will continue. No matter how many FIRs you file, nobody is scared of your FIRs," he added.
According to Delhi Police, the head constable was recording a video during former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's visit to Tilak Nagar when a crowd of AAP supporters allegedly surrounded and assaulted him. The police official subsequently underwent a medical examination.
Delhi Police said, "An FIR has been registered regarding the assault on a Delhi Police Head Constable. The FIR mentions the names of Saurabh Bhardwaj, Jarnail Singh, and AAP workers. An FIR has also been registered against Sahib Singh. Arvind Kejriwal had visited Tilak Nagar yesterday. The Delhi Police Head Constable was recording a video while in plain clothes. A crowd of AAP supporters surrounded and assaulted him. Subsequently, the Head Constable underwent a medical examination. A case has been registered under sections related to obstructing a public servant in the discharge of official duties and assaulting a public servant."
Meanwhile, AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that police were trying to intimidate party leaders and workers by implicating them in false cases, saying such actions would not deter them.
"Police personnel are scared. They think that implicating us in false cases will scare us. This won't work. This hooliganism by Police won't work," Bharadwaj said.

Bharadwaj yesterday accused Verma of assaulting a young man and alleged that the incident took place without provocation.
"Two days back, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma slapped a 22-year-old Gen Z before the media without any provocation. The young man was shooting videos as proof of corruption. The minister snatched away the phone and threw it away. He then fled from there. The police helped him get away. This is not just about Parvesh Verma. Who are these people who indulge in hooliganism everywhere? BJP people threaten and scare people so that the issue of corruption cannot be raised and ask them questions. This culture needs to be shunned. The entire country is watching this unfold," Bharadwaj said.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Monday also stepped up his attack on the BJP over the video showing Verma slapping a man during a road inspection.
Kejriwal told the media that “poor quality” roads were never built during AAP’s ten-year rule in Delhi. He slammed Parvesh Sahib Singh, saying, “This is not your father’s country; you cannot slap someone like this”.He demanded the arrest of Parvesh Sahib Singh.
“This road was built a few days ago. This road is peeling off by hand. We have never seen such a road being built in Delhi. Delhi is the capital of the country, and such a road was never built during AAP's time. There has been a lot of corruption in this,” the former Delhi Chief Minister said.
“Yesterday, when the minister (Parvesh Verma) came here to inspect the road, he slapped Saheb Singh. This is not your father's country; you cannot slap someone like this. This country belongs to 140 crore people,” he added. 
AAP leader Shelly Oberoi also criticised the incident and demanded an FIR against Verma.
"It is the misfortune of our country that the general public cannot raise their voice today. Two days back, when the general public questioned a BJP minister over corruption, the minister slapped a young man. Will the BJP ministers answer with slaps when the general public demands accountability? This tyranny and hooliganism are prevalent not just in Delhi but in the entire country now. Is slapping a Gen Zer correct? Young people are the future of our country. BJP has conspired to crush them. We are here at Delhi Police HQ, and we want an FIR against such a minister. BJP didn't win Delhi genuinely but through vote theft; that is why they are unable to be accountable to people," Oberoi said.
Yesterday, Delhi Police filed a non-cognisable report against Minister Parvesh Verma in connection with the alleged slapping of a youth in Tilak Nagar, while an FIR was registered against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Jarnail Singh following a complaint by PWD engineers.
Police registered a Non-Cognisable Report (NCR) under Section 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Verma.
According to Delhi Police sources, the video of the incident shows Verma slapping the youth. "There was no grievous hurt involved in the incident," sources said, adding that action was therefore taken under the relevant provision pertaining to causing hurt.
Delhi Police said, "Action under relevant sections of law has been taken on the complaints of one Sahib Singh and an Assistant Engineer, PWD. Some other complaints have also been received regarding the incident, which will be taken up during the course of investigation."
Meanwhile, Verma defended himself yesterday, saying AAP workers were behaving rudely with him.
"Reports of their (AAP) MLAs assaulting government employees keep surfacing. I was there with my engineer, and they arrived with their goons and started behaving rudely. I want to tell Arvind Kejriwal that while you visit such sites, young girls are being beaten up in our Punjab—so please say a word or two about them as well. You label your goons as 'Gen-Z,' and that is not right. If you obstruct any of our work and prevent us from functioning, we will not tolerate it." 
Earlier on Sunday, Verma claimed that the AAP workers hurled abuses at his family and misbehaved. In a video statement on X, Singh claimed that AAP MLA Jarnail Singh's supporters misbehaved and hurled verbal abuses at his family. He also accused the AAP leader of attempting to extort a commission for a road project.
"When one of their workers started hurling abuses at my family, any individual who comes and does that in such a situation, I did the same. I want to tell the Aam Aadmi Party that you couldn't do this work, and today our government is doing it, which is why you have a stomachache. But if anyone says anything to my family, or if anyone tries to obstruct our work, causes damage to our property, or demands commissions from our officials—which the Aam Aadmi Party MLA did—this is something we will not tolerate," Singh said, adding that an official complaint and an FIR have already been registered against the MLA and his associates over the obstruction of public works.