Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officer Alankar Agnihotri has been in the spotlight since he resigned Monday in protest against the new University Grants Commission regulations on combating caste discrimination on campuses.
Agnihotri, the PCS officer of the 2019 batch, is sitting on a protest outside the district collectorate’s office in Bareilly.
In his resignation letter sent Monday to Governor Anandiben Patel and Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh, 43-year-old Alankar Agnihotri, who was posted as a city magistrate in Bareilly, also criticised the action taken against the disciples of Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
In his resignation, he cited deep ideological differences with government policies, and said constitutional values were being weakened.
As he criticised the government in his resignation letter, which is yet to be accepted, the state government issued a suspension order late Monday evening and ordered a departmental inquiry against him.
A report by the Bareilly District Magistrate found Agnihotri prima facie guilty of maligning the government’s image, according to an official order issued 26 January.
Based on this, the state government suspended him with immediate effect under the Uttar Pradesh Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999. The commissioner of Bareilly division has been asked to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Minutes after his suspension, Agnihotri and his supporters launched a protest outside the DM’s office premises. Late at night, Agnihotri vacated his official residence following the dramatic events at the Bareilly collectorate.
Earlier in the day, the DM had called him for a meeting to iron out the issues. Agnihotri later claimed, “Somehow, I managed to escape from the DM’s office. This battle is a long one now. They are threatening me, but I will not backtrack.”
Late Monday night, after vacating his official residence, Agnihotri, surrounded by supporters, addressed the media.
#WATCH | Suspended City Magistrate of Bareilly, Alankar Agnihotri, sits on a protest outside the District Collectorate office in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh https://t.co/n51chJIkYJ pic.twitter.com/f0pCquMLLT
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2026
“The district magistrate detained me for about 45 minutes. I did not feel comfortable there. I heard him speaking to someone on the phone and saying, ‘Pandit pagal ho gaya’ (this Brahmin has gone mad). I was shocked to hear such remarks,” he said.
After Agnihotri’s press conference, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand called him and expressed solidarity. In a video of the conversation, Shankaracharya is heard telling Agnihotri, “You have resigned from a senior administrative post. It was certainly a difficult decision. We can offer you a better role in our team, where you will work for religion and society.”
Agnihotri responded that he would consider the offer.
Prayagraj: Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand spoke to UP PCS Alankar Agnihotri who tendered his resignation in protest against the #UGCRegulations & the ongoing Shankaracharya row. pic.twitter.com/Hpg2YAYKA3
— Prashant Srivastava (@Prashantps100) January 26, 2026
The UGC’s Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, notified on January 13, has sparked widespread criticism from general category students who argue the framework could lead to discrimination against them.
The new regulations, which the UGC has said would help combat caste-based discrimination on college and university campuses, ask institutions to set up special committees, helplines and monitoring teams to handle complaints, especially from SC, ST and OBC students.
Also Read: UP govt divided over Avimukteshwarananda—Yogi’s ‘Kaal Nemi’ vs Maurya’s ‘bhagwan Shankaracharya’
What happened till now
Earlier, after tendering his resignation, Agnihotri claimed an “anti-Brahmin campaign” was going on in Uttar Pradesh, and alleged that people from the community were being selectively targeted.
He further alleged that disciples of the Shankaracharya and elderly monks were beaten up by security personnel, questioning what message such actions were sending to the public.
In his statement to the media Monday, Agnihotri said, “UGC ke naye regulations samanya varg ke khilaaf hain. Jo log apne aap ko Brahmnon ka neta samajhate hain, woh bhi kuchh nahi bol rahe, bilkul corporate employees ki tarah. Main appeal karta hoon ki agar zameer zinda hai, toh janta ke saath khade hon. Jahan samanya varg pradarshan kar raha hai, kya aapko sharam nahi aati unke saath khade nahin hone mein?”
(“The new UGC regulations are against the general category. Those who consider themselves leaders of Brahmins are also staying silent, 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?)
ThePrint tried to reach Agnihotri through calls, but his phone was switched off.
According to government sources, Agnihotri’s resignation came as a shock to the state civil services community and power corridors. Senior officials were asked to manage the situation, but Agnihotri refused to budge. Meanwhile, opposition parties and Brahmin organisations have started raising the issue of his resignation.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Pooja Shukla told ThePrint, “Agnihotri’s resignation has sent a wrong message to the Brahmin community about the government. We all know this government has been anti-Brahmin from the beginning. Now this issue will escalate and dent the government in the coming days.”
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: ‘Underestimating upper caste unity’: Resentment & resignations within BJP over new UGC rules