UP PCS officer resigns in protest against ‘insult to Brahmins’, UGC rules

A Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officer in Uttar Pradesh has resigned from his position in protest against the “insult” of Shankaracharya at the recent Magh Mela, the attack on Batuk Brahmins by pulling their shikha (a sacred tuft of hair on an otherwise shaved head), and the new UGC rules.

Alankar Agnihotri was posted as the City Magistrate of Bareilly. In his five-page handwritten resignation letter submitted to the governor, he has expressed his displeasure on both issues and has appealed to other officers to come forward too.

After the resignation came to light on Monday (January 26), there was a stir in the political corridors of UP as well as in the bureaucracy.

Insult to Shankaracharya

Agnihotri has directly questioned the government over the alleged insult to Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, the attack on his disciples, which he said hurt the religious and cultural identity of the Brahmin community.

Also read: Magh Mela protest: Is BJP at odds with Shankaracharya?

The controversy arose last week after the administration stopped the Shankaracharya from proceeding in a palanquin for a holy dip at the Sangam during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj. After a confrontation between his supporters and police officials, the Shankaracharya returned without bathing. As the seer started a protest at his camp upon his return there, the Magh Mela administration issued a notice questioning his use of the title “Shankaracharya”.

Agnihotri wrote that he belongs to the Brahmin caste too, and it is clear from the incident that Brahmins have been insulted. The 2019 batch PCS officer wrote, “This is a matter of serious concern and such incidents happening under this government shake the soul of an ordinary Brahmin. This incident shows that the local administration and the present state government are working with an anti-Brahmin ideology and are playing with the identity of saints and sages.”

‘Discriminatory’ UGC regulations

Raising questions on the UGC Regulations 2026 and calling it “discriminatory” against students from the general category, Agnihotri has written that these provisions will give rise to discriminatory activities and conspiracies against upper-caste students. He has accused the government of seemingly following the British-era policy of “divide and rule”. Not only that, he has also expressed the need for an alternative political option for the Brahmin community.

Also read: Congress attacks BJP over mistreatment of Shankaracharya at UP's Magh Mela

Agnihotri, a native of Kanpur, holds a BTech degree from IIT Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He passed the PCS exam in his first attempt. After announcing his resignation, he symbolically protested by writing “Resigned” next to his name on the board in his office, pictures of which are rapidly going viral on social media.

(This report originally appeared in The Federal Desh)