Bareilly City Magistrate resigns over Swami Avimukteshwaranand row, UGC rules
Bareilly: In a dramatic development on Republic Day, Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Uttar Pradesh PCS officer, resigned from his post, citing concerns over the treatment of revered saints and alleged discrimination against upper castes under the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.
Agnihotri submitted his resignation to the Uttar Pradesh Governor, stating that his decision was based on issues of “self-respect”, conscience, and accountability to society, rather than any personal or professional considerations.
In his resignation letter, he strongly criticised the incident at the Prayagraj Magh Mela, where disciples of Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Jyotish Peeth were allegedly assaulted and dragged by their hair during a protest over access to the Sangam for a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya.
Describing the act as a grave insult to Brahmins and saints, whose hair is traditionally not touched, Agnihotri questioned whether the administration was tacitly endorsing persecution.
He also used strong language in the letter, raising concerns about what he termed targeted harassment and discrimination, and called the incident a blot on humanity.
Linking the controversy to broader grievances, Agnihotri criticised the University Grants Commission’s Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026.
He claimed that certain provisions, particularly paragraphs 2, 5, 6, and 7, were exploitative and discriminatory against general category students, especially those belonging to Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Kayastha, and Bhumihar communities.
Comparing the guidelines to the colonial-era Rowlatt Act of 1919, he alleged that they could be misused to harass and target upper-caste youth through conspiracies and false cases.
The resignation letter also hinted at future political plans, with Agnihotri stating that the time had come to build an alternative political platform to represent Brahmins and other general category communities, as no effective voice currently existed for them.
His move has intensified the ongoing debate in Uttar Pradesh over Brahmin sentiments, amid nearly two months of unrest linked to the Swami Avimukteshwaranand controversy.
Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, seized the opportunity to criticise the BJP government, portraying both issues as anti-upper caste and anti-Sanatan Dharma.
Meanwhile, supporters began gathering at Agnihotri’s residence following his resignation. Some protests reportedly turned intense, with one individual allegedly stripping in symbolic opposition to the UGC regulations.