Madhya Pradesh govt recommends sacking IAS officer Santosh Verma amid row over Brahmin girls remark

Santosh Verma

On Thursday, the Madhya Pradesh government sent a proposal to the Centre recommending the dismissal of IAS officer Santosh Verma, state president of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Officers and Employees Association (AJAKS), over his “undignified” remarks.

Verma has also been removed from his role as deputy secretary in the Agriculture Department and attached to the general administration department (GAD) without any assigned duties, news agency PTI reported.

The action came amid a row over Verma’s remarks on Brahmin girls and the High Court. At the AJAKS state level convention in Bhopal on November 23, Verma had said, "Until a Brahmin donates his daughter to my son and he has a relationship with her, he (son) should get reservation."

A video of his statement was uploaded on social media, triggering outrage among the Brahmin community. Post the comment, there were high demands from all corners of the country over strict action against him.

Furthermore, 65 Brahmin organisations, enraged by Verma's remarks, announced a protest on Friday and a siege of the chief minister's residence on December 14. They also warned that if no action was taken, preparations would be made for a statewide shutdown.

Meanwhile, another recent comment by Verma added fuel to the fire when, while addressing an event, he said, "It is the High Court itself that is preventing ST category children from becoming civil judges... It is the High Court from which we demand a guarantee of constitutional compliance."

The issue gained momentum as a clip of his remarks came to light, intensifying the scrutiny on the government.

Subsequently, an official statement issued late at night said that chief minister Mohan Yadav had taken cognisance of the Santosh Verma case. It said that Verma had fabricated and forged a promotion order from the State Administrative Service to the Indian Administrative Service, and criminal cases are pending against him in various courts, the PTI report added.

The government sent this proposal to the central government shortly thereafter.

The government said that a departmental inquiry against Verma on the charge of obtaining an integrity certificate based on forged and fabricated documents is in its final stages, and that his response to the show-cause notice in the current case is unsatisfactory.

The government also said that he has been continuously issuing indecent statements, and hence, the decision to issue a charge sheet against him was taken.

An official said that the state government can suspend IAS officers but cannot dismiss them, as this power lies with the central government, which comes into effect after the President signs it.