The Madhya Pradesh government has taken a strict step against senior IAS officer Santosh Verma after his controversial comment created a storm across the state. Verma, who heads the state unit of AJAKS — a body representing SC/ST government employees — was served a formal show-cause notice for linking the issue of reservation to the willingness of Brahmins to marry their daughters into his family.

The government described his remark as a serious breach of conduct, saying it damaged the dignity and neutrality expected from an IAS officer.

The notice was issued late on Wednesday by the General Administration Department. It stated that Verma’s comments, made during the AJAKS State Convention held on November 23, 2025, in Bhopal, went against the discipline and administrative ethics of the Indian Administrative Service. His behaviour was labelled arbitrary and indisciplined, and the state made it clear that this kind of conduct amounts to grave misconduct.

Officials also pointed out that his actions violated provisions of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1967. Because of this, the government warned him that action may be taken under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969. The notice gave Verma seven days to explain himself. If he fails to respond, the government stated it will proceed with disciplinary steps without giving him another chance to reply.

The entire controversy began after a video from the AJAKS convention went viral on social media. In the clip, Verma could be 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 sharp tone and sensitive nature of this line triggered heavy criticism across political parties, employee unions, and community groups. Many accused the officer of making irresponsible comments that deepened social divisions.

Soon after, the Mantralay Officers–Employees Union submitted a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla. They demanded strict and exemplary action, saying that Verma’s comment was highly offensive and harmful to social peace. Union president Sudhir Nayak said the statement was unacceptable, especially when made by someone holding such an important administrative post.

Senior BJP leader and former minister Gopal Bhargava also strongly criticised Verma. He called him “characterless” and claimed that the officer had brought shame to the government. Bhargava even questioned whether Verma should have ever been allowed to join the IAS, accusing him of previously forging the signature of a judge. He announced that he would raise the matter with the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary and press for cancellation of Verma’s service credentials.

The Opposition Congress also joined the demand for strict action. Hemant Katare, Deputy Leader of Opposition and MLA, demanded that an FIR be registered against Verma. He called for his immediate arrest and removal from service. Katare accused the officer of trying to divide society and polluting public debate with remarks that could damage social harmony.

As the criticism intensified, Santosh Verma issued a public apology. He claimed that his words had been taken out of context and that people were sharing only a selective portion of his speech. According to Verma, a “2-second clip” from a much longer 27-minute address was being circulated to intentionally create misunderstanding. He insisted that he had no intention of insulting any community or religion.

In his apology, Verma said, “I had no intention of creating political uproar. Simply, it was our state executive meeting of Madhya Pradesh AJJAKS (Anusuchit Jati-Janjati Adhikari Evam Karmchari Sangh). During the meeting, our previous president of AJJAKS, who held the position for the last 21 years, submitted his resignation and I was elected new president of AJJAKS unanimously. After that, we were sharing our views on whether reservation should be on an economic or social basis,” said Mr. Verma.

He added more context, saying, “A few people believed that if anyone has become an IAS officer then any other member of the family should not be eligible for reservation. Speaking on this, I had said that if I am financially independent and my social backwardness is over, then my children and our community should receive 'roti-beti' treatment from society. But only a particular portion was propagated from my address,” Verma claimed.

He also stated that he had no ill-intention toward any community and did not mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. “If my words have hurt the sentiments of any individual, or community, I sincerely apologise. Some people propagated only a portion of what I had said. Those who have fanned this controversy have taken only one line from the speech I had made,” he said.

IAS officer Santosh Verma’s past controversies come back into focus

While the latest remark has pushed Santosh Verma into the spotlight again, this is not the first time he has been surrounded by controversy. Many people in Madhya Pradesh are already aware of his complex history.

Before being promoted to IAS from state services, Verma was involved in a serious case. He was accused of using forged documents and even forging a judge’s signature to secure his promotion. The matter reached the Lasudia police station, where a complaint was registered. The police later arrested him, and Verma was sent to jail. After this incident, he allegedly managed to clear himself to get a promotion, but questions about the case continued to follow him.

Another major controversy involved his personal life. Despite being married, Verma reportedly lived in a live-in relationship with a female colleague. During that time, he even had a love marriage with her. Later, he refused to recognise the relationship. The woman filed a police complaint, saying that Verma had backed out after promising marriage. Since such cases can affect eligibility for promotion, Verma allegedly presented forged documents with a fake judicial signature to the Departmental Promotion Committee. Based on this, he managed to secure his promotion to the IAS. When the truth came out, an FIR was filed by the court, and Verma was arrested again.

His name appeared in yet another case involving his maid when he was posted as a statistics officer in Rewa. Reports claim that he developed an affair with her, secretly married her for appearance, and entered into a relationship with her. Later, he refused to accept her as his wife. After becoming deputy collector, it is said he married her again. Eventually, when he backed out once more, the woman lodged a complaint at the police station.

There were also allegations of an affair with an LIC agent during his posting in Dhar. Verma reportedly married her too. The two lived together for some time, but not long after, Verma began distancing himself from her. The woman then went to Indore and filed a complaint at the Lasudia police station.

Across different postings, Verma gained a reputation for repeatedly getting involved in similar controversies. Many people have claimed that he often found himself in complicated personal situations wherever he went. With the recent uproar over his remark regarding Brahmin daughters, these old incidents have resurfaced, putting even more pressure on the government to take firm action.

According to some reports, Verma had also filed a complaint at one point against a woman whom he accused of blackmailing him. The woman responded by releasing a photo of her marrying him, adding more layers to the ongoing disputes linked to the officer.