IAS officer Santosh Verma has been at the centre of a major controversy. (Photo: X,Canva)
Madhya Pradesh IAS officer Santosh Verma has been at the centre of a major controversy following a video of his making objectionable remarks against Brahmin girls at a public event in Bhopal that went viral and set off massive backlash from community organisations and political groups. It has prompted the state government to issue a formal show-cause notice, questioning his conduct as a civil servant and threatening disciplinary action.
The controversy broke out at the provincial convention of AJAKS held at Ambedkar Maidan. Speaking on reservation, Santosh Verma said, “Reservations should continue till a Brahmin donates his daughter to my son or lets her have a relationship with my son.” A video of his remarks soon went viral on social media. The remarks were sharply criticised as inappropriate and inflammatory, disrespectful to women and the Brahmin community.
Shortly after the video surfaced, the Madhya Pradesh General Administration Department served a show-cause notice to Verma late Tuesday night, terming his remarks detrimental to social harmony and amounting to a violation of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968. The notice said that the comment has the potential to create ill-will among communities and is tantamount to misconduct in terms of the service conduct rules.
Verma, currently serving as Deputy Secretary in the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, has been asked to explain himself within seven days, failing which disciplinary action will be taken under Rule 10(1)(a) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.
The outrage has come particularly strong from Brahmin groups across the state. All India Brahmin Samaj condemned the statement and demanded immediate action against the IAS officer. Its state president, Pushpendra Mishra, termed Verma’s words as unacceptable and indecent, threatening statewide protests if a police case is not filed.
He claimed that such a remark insults Brahmin daughters and goes against government initiatives such as Ladli Laxmi, Ladli Behna, and the national Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.
Eventually, an apology was issued by Verma after he faced severe criticism for his comment. He said that his comments were out of context and meant to point out the requirement for better inter-community relationships.
He regretted the choice of words if they hurt people, and clarified that the intention was not to provoke any caste-based conflict or to create a political controversy. He also made it clear that the discussion was centred on reservation policies and social equality.
The controversy has also brought Verma’s past legal controversies once again into public debate. In 2021, while applying for promotion from state service to IAS, he allegedly produced fake documents before an Indore court about acquittal and compromise settlement.
His arrest came after a police complaint was filed by the judge whose name appeared in the documents. A chargesheet has been filed in the case and it is pending. The AajTak reported that he was also named in a 2016 complaint filed by a woman at Indore’s Lasudia police station.
Santosh Verma is an IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre and was recently elected as the provincial president of AJAKS, a body representing Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe officers and employees. He is known for taking strong positions on reservation and social justice, though that brings him under the scanner for making remarks which critics say cross the line of ethical and legal boundaries for a public servant.
This controversy could not have come at a more sensitive time because debates related to reservation and caste identity are going on across the country. Verma’s statement turned what was supposed to be a routine community organisation meeting into a significant political and social flashpoint, with concerns over caste tensions and the conduct expected from senior bureaucrats.
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
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