RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has terminated the services of Anil Dwivedi, senior editorial advisor for the state government's public relations department's official magazine Janman, following a controversy over his allegedly offensive social media remarks on caste based reservation.
The action came after Dwivedi made a controversial comment on Facebook targeting reservation. In a post widely criticised as derogatory, he wrote, "Education is the lioness’s milk, but reservation is the bitch’s milk, drinking which a 33% holder barks at a 90% holder.”
The post triggered widespread outrage, drawing strong criticism from reservation advocates and other social media users, who described the language as deeply disrespectful and capable of causing social disharmony.
Police complaints were filed, including one by Ambikapur resident Ashok Kumar Tandon, who accused Dwivedi of attempting to incite social hatred. Complaints were also submitted to the Raipur Police Commissioner and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.
The controversy soon reached the state's political circles, with Leader of Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Assembly Charan Das Mahant launching a scathing attack on the ruling government.
He described the post as a direct insult to millions of people who benefit from constitutionally guaranteed reservation.
"How could a person with such a mindset be entrusted with a responsible position in the state Public Relations Department? CM Sai himself belongs to a Tribal community, which increases his responsibility to take strict action,” Mahant stated.
As pressure mounted and the matter reached the Chief Minister's Office, Dwivedi deleted the Facebook post and issued a statement expressing regret.
“The post was not intended to demean any community, caste, or individual,” he stated.
However, opposition leaders dismissed the apology, saying that deleting the post after allegedly fuelling social division was not enough.
Taking serious note of the alleged breach of conduct, Chhattisgarh Samvad, an organisation under the Information and Public Relations Department, issued an official order dated August 1, 2026, terminating Dwivedi's services.
The official communication sent to his staffing agency, Primeone Workforce Pvt Ltd, stated that Dwivedi's allegedly offensive public remarks violated the responsibilities, dignity and standards associated with the post of senior editorial advisor, as well as government policy guidelines and norms.
