By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: The Sanatan Mission has strongly condemned the controversial remarks made by senior IAS officer and newly elected AJJAKS (Madhya Pradesh SC-ST Officers and Employees Association) president Santosh Verma during the organisation’s state convention held on 23 November. In a widely circulated video from the event, Verma is heard saying that caste-based reservation should continue “until a Brahmin gives his daughter” to an SC-ST youth or until such a “relationship” is formed.
The Mission said the statement, made from a public platform by a serving Indian Administrative Service officer, reflects a serious decline in the dignity of public discourse and objectifies women in an unacceptable manner.
Lalit Shastri, founder-president of Sanatan Mission, said: “Kanyadaan is a sacred and culturally significant component of the Hindu marriage ceremony, symbolising blessings, unity, and familial goodwill. To link it to reservation, and to portray it as a transactional condition, is extremely objectionable, culturally insensitive, and socially divisive.”
Possible Legal Violations
According to the Mission, Verma’s remarks prima facie fall within provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to the following offences:
* Section 197 – Acts prejudicial to national unity
* Section 353 – Promoting enmity between different social groups
* Section 326 – Insulting women’s dignity through indecent or derogatory expression
These provisions, the Mission said, may warrant prosecutorial action subject to legal scrutiny and due process.
Breach of Service Conduct Rules
The organisation further stated that the remarks amount to a grave violation of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, which mandate that officers maintain dignity, impartiality, courtesy, and communal harmony at all times.
Demands of the Sanatan Mission
The Mission has put forward a set of demands:
1. Immediate initiation of a departmental inquiry against Santosh Verma.
2. Suspension pending the outcome of the investigation.
3. Examination of potential criminal liability under relevant legal provisions.
4. A public explanation and accountability from the concerned officer.
