The Madhya Pradesh government has dismissed viral claims that its Supreme Court affidavit on OBC reservation contained derogatory caste remarks, calling them “false, fabricated, misleading, and motivated by malafide intent.” It warned of strict action against those spreading such misinformation.
The Madhya Pradesh government has strongly denied social media claims that controversial remarks on caste, the Varna system, and Hindu traditions were included in its affidavit before the Supreme Court in the ongoing case linked to OBC reservation.
According to the state government, certain “mischievous elements” are spreading false and fabricated content and attributing it wrongly to the affidavit filed in the apex court. The government clarified that such claims are not only misleading but also made with “malafide intent.”
The government clarified,
“A preliminary review of the records reveals that the comments and statements being circulated on social media are completely false, fabricated, misleading, and motivated by malafide intent,”
The viral posts circulating online included disparaging remarks about Shudras and the caste system, with claims that these formed part of the BJP government’s affidavit in the Supreme Court.
The government, however, issued a categorical denial, saying the content was neither part of its affidavit nor reflected any approved policy of the state.
According to the clarification, the controversial excerpts being circulated actually appear to come from the final report submitted in 1983 by the Madhya Pradesh State Backward Classes Commission, chaired by Shri Ramji Mahajan.
This commission was set up in 1980 and had recommended 35% reservation in its report. However, the present state government has noted that it only implemented 27% reservation and that its decision was not based on the Mahajan Commission’s recommendations.
The government further pointed out that various reports of the State Backward Classes Commission, including the Mahajan Commission report, have been part of official records and were produced before the Madhya Pradesh High Court as well as the Supreme Court.
But, it warned that lifting “isolated portions” from such reports and circulating them out of context on social media is malicious propaganda.
The state reiterated its stand, saying:
“Presenting isolated portions of academic analyses or commission reports on social media without context, and attributing them to the government’s affidavit, is a condemnable act. A serious investigation will be conducted and necessary action will follow.”
The controversy comes at a time when the Supreme Court is dealing with two key issues — the validity of the 87:13 recruitment formula and the implementation of the 27% OBC reservation in Madhya Pradesh.
This matter arises out of the larger dispute in the case of Shivam Gautam vs State of Madhya Pradesh.
Currently, the Madhya Pradesh government has increased reservation in direct recruitment to 73%, with the remaining 27% not exclusively earmarked for the general category but kept open to all candidates.
The controversy deepened when it was claimed that the state government’s affidavit included the following arguments:
“The Varna system deprived 80% Bahujan Shudras of rights and exploited them for centuries.”
“This system, reinforced by ideas of God’s will, rebirth, and fatalism, left Shudras so crippled that they could not even imagine resisting injustice.”
“Ram killed Rishi Shambuk for daring to perform jap-tap despite being a Shudra.”
“Dronacharya denied Eklavya because he was a Bhil.”
Critics said such arguments, even if sourced from older commission reports, were shocking to see in a submission by a BJP-led government. The claims sparked a political debate on whether such reasoning divided Hindu society instead of uniting it.
One response circulating online addressed general category citizens, saying:
“Dear General Category brothers and sisters, MP Govt (BJP) affidavit in SC is not just a document, it’s a clear warning for us. The same party that always claimed to unite Hindus is today standing in court labeling Hinduism as a symbol of injustice, exploitation & evil.”
This criticism further accused the BJP of betraying the values it claimed to uphold, stating:
“The BJP government of Madhya Pradesh is betraying Hindu Dharma and Lord Ram: To make a case increasing total reservation in the State to 73%, the BJP government resorts to pushing a report that contemptuous of Hindu Dharma.”
It went on to attack the party for invoking Lord Ram for political gain while at the same time associating Hindu Dharma with injustice:
“Look at the betrayal of Ram by the party that claims to bring Ram. Lord Ram, who is Himself the embodiment of Dharma, meaning He is Dharma itself. They want to support increasing reservations by distorting His principles. They are blaming all the evils of society on Hindu Dharma and the Varnashrama Dharma.”
Calling it a political contradiction, the statement said:
“These are the Hindutvadis! This is the Ambedkarite character and existence of the BJP, which is not only tampering with the definition of Hindu Dharma and being Hindu but also, by demeaning Hindu Dharma and belittling the Varnashrama Dharma of the eternal Vedic religion, it is breaking Hindu society in the name of reservations.”
The statement even linked the controversy to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s rejection of Hinduism, quoting his vow at the time of adopting Buddhism:
“I renounce Hinduism which is harmful for humanity and impedes the advancement and development of humanity because it is based on inequality, and adopt Buddhism as my religion.”
Finally, the post accused the BJP of double standards, saying:
“This report reeks of the same hatred and bias against Hindu Dharma, yet the BJP didn’t mind demeaning Hindu Dharma. Why would it? It worships Dr. Ambedkar, and its vision is the same. Prabhu Ram for votes. Ambedkar once voted in.”
The Madhya Pradesh government has, however, insisted that none of these comments were part of its official affidavit in the Supreme Court and has announced strict action against those spreading misinformation.
On 1st October, the Madhya Pradesh government issued an urgent fact-check after screenshots went viral on Twitter/X claiming that the state and the ruling BJP were “anti-Hindu.”
The viral pages, presented as part of the government’s affidavit, contained controversial assertions blaming Hindu civilisation and scriptures for the backwardness of nearly 80% of Hindus. One excerpt claimed that the killing of “Rishi Shambuk” in the Ramayana was an instance of caste oppression.
Critics, however, pointed out that this was a distortion, since Shri Ram’s action was not related to caste but Shambuk’s intentions toward Goddess Parvati.
Another viral passage claimed that “Manusmriti dehumanises Shudras by comparing them to animals” and went further to credit the British colonial rule and Periyar’s self-respect movement for weakening caste hierarchies.
Observers noted that Manusmriti is often selectively quoted to target Hindus, but even Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had cited it when drafting the Hindu Code Bill. The controversy also touched upon Periyar, with reminders of Jawaharlal Nehru’s strong criticism of him.
In a letter dated November 5, 1957, Nehru wrote to Madras Chief Minister K. Kamaraj:
“I am much distressed by the anti-Brahmin campaign continuously carried on by E.V. Ramaswami Naicker… What he says can only be said by a criminal or a lunatic.”
Nehru even suggested that such campaigns had a “demoralising effect on the country” and that individuals like Periyar belonged in institutions meant for “perverted minds.”
The viral screenshots caused an uproar online, with hashtags branding the BJP government as “anti-Hindu.” Critics accused the party of betraying its own ideological plank. One user posted:
“BJP is actively creating division and hatred against the General Category.”
Another wrote:
“This is not just betrayal, this is BJP spitting on the very people who stood by them through thick and thin. And the irony? The so-called ‘Hindutva Party’ is now doing the dirty work like Periyarites and the British, all for vote banks.”
The state government also clarified that besides the Mahajan Commission report of 1983, it had filed several other reports before the courts – including the annual reports of the Backward Classes Commission from 1994 to 2011 and the 2022 report of the State Backward Classes Welfare Commission.
Officials said this shows that multiple documents form part of the judicial record, and no single report reflects the government’s present policy.
Looking ahead, the controversy may echo in the Supreme Court hearing scheduled for 8th October. For now, the Madhya Pradesh government has reiterated that the viral excerpts are not part of its affidavit and said:
“The Government of Madhya Pradesh is fully committed to ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and social harmony. It is reiterated that the viral content is neither mentioned in the Government’s affidavit nor is it part of any approved or official policy or decision of the State Government.”
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