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MP government gets tough with IAS officer Santosh Verma over objectionable remark on Brahmin girls

BHOPAL: A show-cause notice has been issued by the Madhya Pradesh government to senior IAS officer Santosh Verma over his recent controversial remark about Brahmin girls. The show-cause notice served to him on Wednesday evening mentions that his remarks prima facie amounted to a breach of All India Services (Conduct) Rules and invite disciplinary action under provisions of All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules. The notice issued by the state general administration department also mentions that the remarks made by Verma on November 23 were inconsistent with the dignity and conduct expected from officers of the Indian Administrative Service. The governments notice further mentions that Vermas objectionable remark appeared to be an attempt to disturb social harmony and create animosity among groups. He has been given a weeks time to respond to the notice, failing which appropriate disciplinary action will be initiated against him. Addressing the provincial convention of the AJJAKS (association of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe employees) as the associations state president in Bhopal on November 23, Verma, the deputy secretary in the department of agriculture, had made an objectionable remark about Brahmin girls. Major controversy erupts in Madhya Pradesh over IAS officers objectionable remark about Brahmin girls Verma had reportedly said, Reservation should be given to only one person in a family until a Brahmin donates his daughter to my son or has a relationship with her. Though Verma had apologized two days later, claiming that his speech was wrongly reported in the media and also circulated in a distorted manner on social media, he has been facing massive protests, particularly from upper caste and Hindu outfits across the state since then. Many upper caste outfits have submitted complaints in multiple districts, including Gwalior and Singrauli, demanding an FIR against him. Leaders of both the ruling BJP and Congress too have demanded stern action against Verma for his objectionable remark. The Mantralay Officers-Employees Union, led by president Sudhir Nayak, submitted a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, demanding strict action against the IAS officer. Verma has had a controversial past. In 2021, he was in the news for allegedly forging court orders and faking the signature of a judge to falsely claim relief in cases filed against him. He was arrested in Indore after the judge complained that Verma forged two court documents related to a case of alleged criminal intimidation of a woman. Verma has also faced accusations in two exploitation cases, where women alleged that he promised marriage and later threatened or deceived them.