Lucknow: Protesting against the government’s “anti-Brahmin” approach, Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officer Alankar Agnihotri has resigned. The decision, reportedly driven by his opposition to government policies and new UGC regulations, has sent shockwaves through bureaucratic circles, as it is rare for a serving PCS officer to openly question government decisions.
In his resignation letter, he criticises the action taken against disciples of Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
Posted as a city magistrate in Bareilly, 43-year-old Alankar Agnihotri submitted his resignation Monday.
Before resigning, Agnihotri posted several messages on Facebook holding up placards with slogans like “take back the black law” and “boycott BJP”.
His resignation letter, sent to the UP Governor, the Election Commission and the state election commissioner, has gone viral on social media. In the letter, he said he was quitting the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Civil Service (UPPCS) because of the UGC Regulations 2026 and the alleged attack by the local administration on the disciples of Shankaracharya Shri Avimukteshwaranand during the Magh Mela at Prayagraj.
Speaking to the media in Bareilly, city magistrate Agnihotri said the new UGC rules would “increase harassment” of Brahmins. He claimed the UGC Regulations 2026 portray the general category as “self-proclaimed criminals” and described the provisions made in the name of equality for a particular category as unfair and discriminatory.
He added, “The new UGC regulations are against the general category. Those who consider themselves leaders of Brahmins are also staying silent, just like corporate employees. I appeal to them that if their conscience is still alive, they should stand with the people. When the general category is protesting, don’t you feel any shame in not standing with them?”
According to the UGC, the new regulations are meant to prevent caste-based discrimination on campuses. A key change is the formal inclusion of Other Backwards Classes (OBCs) under the caste-based discrimination framework. Earlier, institutions mainly addressed complaints from Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Under the new rules, OBC students and employees can also file complaints of harassment or discrimination, a move the UGC says reflects ground realities. Following this announcement, several general category groups have protested the new regulations.
In his resignation, Agnihotri has also alleged that during the Prayagraj Magh Mela, disciples of Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand were dragged by their hair and beaten while bathing on Mauni Amavasya, calling it an attack on the Sanatan tradition.
ThePrint tried to reach Agnihotri but his phone was switched off.
In a letter addressed to the governor, he wrote: “I, Alankar Agnihotri, am a 2019-batch gazetted officer of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Service, currently posted as city magistrate, Bareilly, in Bareilly district. I would also like to highlight that I earned my B.Tech degree from IIT (BHU), under the All India Hindu University, for which I will remain lifelong grateful to Bharat Ratna Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya, whose vision led to the establishment of the Banaras Hindu University. With Kashi and the brave land of Hanumanji in mind, I am expressing my thoughts candidly.”
Before being posted city magistrate in Bareilly, 2019 batch PCS Agnihotri had served as deputy collector in several districts, including Unnao, Balrampur and Etah. He had also worked as assistant municipal commissioner in Lucknow.
According to a source close to him, the officer was deeply hurt by the lathi-charge against a close aide of Avimukteshwaranand in Prayagraj. “He decided to speak out against the incident. Later, the issue of the UGC regulations emerged, which further angered him and ultimately led to his decision to resign. As of now, he has not planned anything about the coming future,” the source said told thePrint.
Reacting to the bureaucrat’s resignation, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakrul Hasan Chand said, “The government has not apologised for what happened to the Shankaracharya in Prayagraj, which is why the officer felt hurt. The incident has hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus. It is commonly said in Uttar Pradesh that this government is anti-Brahmin. The government has already committed its biggest blunder.”
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: UP govt divided over Avimukteshwarananda—Yogi’s ‘Kaal Nemi’ vs Maurya’s ‘bhagwan Shankaracharya’
Finally someone has the balls. I only care about the UGC thing so I need more resignations on that topic.