NEW DELHI: Senior IAS officer Santosh Verma, state president of the Anusuchit Jati-Janjati Adhikari Karmachari Sangh (AJJAKS) in Madhya Pradesh, has drawn sharp criticism after a video of a remark he made at an event in Bhopal went viral, prompting demands for a police case and disciplinary action. Speaking on whether reservation should be granted on economic basis he said, “until a Brahmin donates his daughter to my son or has a relationship with him, reservations should continue.” The All India Brahmin Society condemned Verma’s statement, its state president Pushpendra Mishra termed the comment “indecent” and “casteist,” alleging that it insults Brahmin daughters and violates All India Services Conduct Rules.In a post on X Mishra said “An FIR should be lodged immediately for comments made against Brahmin daughters. The IAS officer’s remarks are indecent, objectionable, and an insult to the Brahmin community. If a criminal case is not filed soon, the Brahmin Samaj will launch a statewide protest.” He added that the comments were inappropriate at a time when schemes such as Ladli Laxmi, Ladli Behna, and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao focus on the dignity and welfare of girls. He warned that it would pursue both legal and street-level agitation if the government fails to act. “The government should immediately take the strictest possible action against IAS officer Santosh Verma, otherwise the Brahmin society will fight against IAS officer Santosh Verma in court as well as on the road,” Mishra said. Amid the escalating controversy, Verma issued a clarification, stating that his comments were taken out of context during a discussion on whether reservation should be linked to economic criteria. He told ANI, “my aim was not to create a political uproar… I had said that if I am financially independent and not socially backward anymore, then my children should receive ‘roti-beti’ treatment from society. I don’t have ill will against any community. I did not want to hurt women’s sentiments. I express regret if I have hurt anyone. But some people propagated only a portion of what I had said.”
