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MP govt removes IAS officer amid outrage over his remarks about Brahmin women
The comment provoked outrage with the Brahmin community announcing a protest at chief minister Mohan Yadav’s residence against Verma for allegedly hurting their sentiments
The Madhya Pradesh government late on Thursday removed Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Santosh Verma as deputy secretary (agriculture) and recommended his dismissal to the central government, citing forged documents he allegedly used for his elevation from the state administrative service.
The action came amid outrage over Verma’s allegedly derogatory remarks against Brahmin women. Chief minister Mohan Yadav ordered his removal after Verma’s videos went viral. In one of the videos, Verma is purportedly heard saying that caste-based reservations should continue until a Brahmin “donates his daughter to his son or a relationship is established between them.”
The comment provoked outrage with the Brahmin community announcing a protest at Yadav’s residence on Sunday against Verma for allegedly hurting their sentiments, insulting women, and making provocative statements.
Yadav said a departmental inquiry regarding allegations that Verma obtained a certificate of integrity for his promotion based on forged and fabricated documents is in its final stages. “...the reply submitted by Santosh Verma to a show cause notice is not satisfactory. He is continuously issuing undignified statements. Therefore, it has been decided to issue a charge sheet against him.” Yadav said he has directed strict action regarding a forgery case registered against Verma.
The state government had suspended Verma when he was arrested in 2021 after a woman accused him of promising marriage and assaulting her. Verma was released on bail, and a departmental inquiry was going on against him.
The chief minister’s office (CMO) said a proposal for his dismissal from the IAS has been sent to the central government, as he obtained his promotion from the state administrative service by using allegedly forged and fabricated orders exonerating him from criminal cases. “Criminal cases are pending [against Verma] in various courts. The IAS promotion obtained based on forged documents and fraud is invalid,” the CMO said in a statement.
Verma, who did not respond to phone calls for a response to the action against him, was also purportedly heard accusing the high court of being unjust to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates by preventing them from becoming civil judges despite the reservation. “This is the same high court from which we demand a guarantee of adherence to the Constitution.”
In another video, he is purportedly heard saying: “How many Santosh Vermas will you kill, how many will you burn, how many will you swallow? Now, a Santosh Verma will emerge from every house, and when one emerges from every house, you will not have the power to burn every Santosh Verma.”
Verma was attached to the General Administrative Department pool without work days after he made the controversial comments at a conference of the SC and ST Officers and Employees Association in Bhopal on November 23. Verma was elected as the president of the association.
