A fresh controversy involving a senior bureaucrat has erupted in Madhya Pradesh, adding fuel to an ongoing political firestorm. This comes after a video of a woman IAS officer, Meenakshi Singh, making contentious remarks about caste surfaced from the same conference that previously embroiled another officer in a row.
Controversial Remarks at Bhopal Conference
The incident traces back to the Anusuchit Jati and Janjati Adhikari Evam Karmachari Sangh (AJAKS) State Convention held in Bhopal on November 23. While the controversy over IAS officer Santosh Verma's alleged remarks against Brahmins was still simmering, a new video clip began circulating on social media. This video featured 2013-batch IAS officer Meenakshi Singh addressing the gathering.
In the widely shared clip, Singh is heard stating in Hindi, "Being casteist is the biggest demand of the time. You must have seen how people show favoritism towards those from upper castes based on their surnames - this casteism, this casteist mentality is necessary for us. We should find our own people and help them." Her comments have been interpreted as a direct advocacy for caste-based favoritism and solidarity.
Government Action and Preceding Case
This new development compounds an already tense situation for the state administration. The Madhya Pradesh government had earlier served a show-cause notice to IAS officer Santosh Verma for his own remarks made at the same AJAKS convention. The government officially stated that the reply submitted by Verma to this notice was found to be unsatisfactory, indicating potential disciplinary action.
The emergence of Meenakshi Singh's video has effectively doubled the scale of the controversy, shifting the focus from a single officer's conduct to a broader pattern of statements emerging from the government-organized event. It raises serious questions about the discourse permitted at official gatherings.
Broader Implications and Public Reaction
The back-to-back controversies have ignited a fierce debate on social media and within political circles. Critics argue that such statements from high-ranking civil servants, who are expected to uphold constitutional values of equality, are deeply damaging. Supporters of the officers, however, may frame the comments as a call for empowerment of marginalized communities within the system.
The key facts remain centered on the AJAKS convention in Bhopal on November 23, the involvement of two IAS officers—Santosh Verma and Meenakshi Singh—and the initiation of formal action by the state government against the first officer. The public now awaits whether similar procedural steps will be taken regarding the newly surfaced video of Meenakshi Singh, as the controversy shows no signs of dying down.
