The Madhya Pradesh government has issued a stern show-cause notice to senior IAS officer Santosh Verma, who also heads the state unit of AJAKS, an association of SC/ST government employees, over a controversial statement linking Brahmin daughters to the reservation debate. The government has termed his remark a serious violation of service conduct and administrative ethics.
Late Wednesday night, the General Administration Department issued the notice, stating that Verma’s comments, made during the AJAKS State Convention in Bhopal on November 23, 2025, were incompatible with the dignity, neutrality and discipline expected from an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. The government described his behaviour as arbitrary, indisciplined and amounting to grave misconduct.
Citing violations of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1967, the government warned that disciplinary action may be initiated under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969. Verma has been asked to respond within seven days, failing which the state has indicated it will proceed with action without further notice.
The controversy erupted after a video from the convention went viral in which Verma was heard saying, “Reservation should be given only to one person in a family until a Brahmin gives his daughter to my son or establishes a relationship with her.” The remark triggered widespread outrage, protests and political backlash across the state.
The Mantralay Officers–Employees Union submitted a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, demanding exemplary action against the officer. Union president Sudhir Nayak termed the statement deeply offensive and damaging to social harmony.
Senior BJP leader and former minister Gopal Bhargava also lashed out at Verma, calling him “characterless” and accusing him of maligning the government’s image. He went to the extent of questioning Verma’s eligibility to remain in the civil services, alleging that someone who allegedly forged a judge’s signature should never have been allowed to become an IAS officer. Bhargava said he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary and demand cancellation of his service credentials.
The Opposition Congress also mounted pressure on the government. Deputy Leader of Opposition and MLA Hemant Katare demanded registration of an FIR against Verma, calling for his immediate arrest and expulsion from service. He accused the officer of attempting to divide society and poisoning public discourse.
As the backlash intensified, Santosh Verma issued a public apology, claiming that his words were being deliberately misrepresented. He stated that a “2-second clip” was selectively circulated from a longer 27-minute speech and insisted that his full remarks were being taken out of context.
The incident has once again brought Verma’s controversial past into the spotlight. A 2012-batch IAS officer, currently posted as Deputy Secretary in the Agriculture Department, Verma was earlier part of the Madhya Pradesh State Administrative Service.
He has previously faced serious allegations, including arrest in Indore after a judge accused him of forging court documents and falsifying judicial signatures in cases involving him. He was also booked in cases where women alleged that he promised marriage, later reneged and issued threats.
With political pressure mounting and public anger simmering, the matter has emerged as a major flashpoint in the state’s administrative and political landscape.
