An unscrupulous remark by Madhya Pradesh IAS officer Santosh Verma is threatening to take his job and ruin his career with a blot on it. Verma has already been removed from his current posting, weeks after his remarks on reservation and the Brahmin community stirred a nationwide controversy. At present Verma holds no government post, and the state government is going to press for his dismissal from the elite job.
Verma’s trouble started with a highly derogatory remark given at a regional event of the M.P. Anusuchit Jati-Janjati Adhikari Evam Karmachari Sangh (AJJAKS) on November 23 in Bhopal, where he commented, “Reservation should continue until a Brahmin gives away his daughter to my son, or (she) has a relationship with him, if it’s only about the economic aspect.” He had been appointed the state president of the body at the event.
His remarks unleashed backlash from Brahmin outfits and leaders who alleged that they were derogatory towards women and demanded an FIR and disciplinary action against the bureaucrat.
Though Verma later apologised and clarified that by “giving away” he meant kanyadaan (the Hindu wedding ritual of giving away a daughter in marriage) and was referring to the ‘roti-beti’ culture between different castes, which promotes inter-caste marriages. But the harm had been done.
It was the turn for his troubles to multiply, as, according to a highly placed source, besides giving derogatory remarks about the Brahmin community, Verma is also accused of forging documents for his promotion from the state administrative cadre.
It was Chief Minister Mohan Yadav himself who ordered a strict action against Verma following which an order to remove Verma from his post as Deputy Secretary in the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department was issued late on Thursday by Chief Secretary Anurag Jain.
But it is not enough, as a departmental inquiry for allegedly obtaining an integrity certificate on the basis of forged and fabricated documents against him is in its final stages. Plus, Verma’s response to the show-cause notice issued by the government was found unsatisfactory. So, he is soon going to be chargesheeted and a proposal for his dismissal from the IAS is being sent to the Central Government.
Media reports quoting sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed that a fake and forged promotion order from the State Administrative Service to the Indian Administrative Service was prepared by Verma, and the government is going to send a proposal to the Centre for his dismissal.
Despite all this, Verma is said to be continuing to give derogatory remarks.
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