Suspended Bareilly Magistrate Stages Protest Outside DM Office
In a dramatic turn of events, Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri staged a dharna outside the district magistrate's office on Tuesday, just one day after his suspension by the Uttar Pradesh government. The 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service officer was prevented from entering the premises to meet District Magistrate Avinash Singh by police personnel, prompting his peaceful protest demonstration.
Resignation and Immediate Suspension
Agnihotri had submitted his resignation on Monday in strong protest against the University Grants Commission's newly implemented anti-discrimination guidelines. Within hours of his resignation becoming public, the state government issued a suspension order citing "indiscipline and violation of service conduct" under the Uttar Pradesh Government Servant (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999.
Officials stated that Agnihotri breached conduct regulations by announcing his resignation publicly and making allegations before formally submitting his resignation to the competent authority. Additional Magistrate Saurabh Dubey revealed that the administration first learned about the resignation through social media posts, expressing surprise at the development.
Allegations of Detention and Administration's Response
The suspended magistrate made serious allegations about his treatment following the resignation. "I was held hostage," Agnihotri claimed. "When I went to the DM office after resigning, I was prevented from leaving for nearly an hour. The SSP and other district officials were present. I was let free only after they came to know that I had informed the media."
Administration officials strongly denied these allegations. Additional District Magistrate Desh Deepak Singh countered: "He visited the DM office of his own volition. He came there, ate snacks, and the allegation that he was held hostage is baseless."
Agnihotri provided additional details about the incident, claiming he overheard a conversation on speakerphone in which a senior official allegedly referred to him as "a psycho" and instructed that he be kept overnight. "I immediately informed a colleague, and was released nearly an hour later," he stated.
Social Media Protest and Political Dimensions
Prior to his suspension, Agnihotri had posted a photograph of himself outside his residence holding a placard demanding rollback of the UGC rules, which he described as "kala kanoon" or black law. The poster carried multiple slogans including "boycott BJP" and "boycott Brahmin MP MLA," along with a line reading: "Shankaracharya aur sanatan ka yeh apman nahi sahega Hindustan" (India will not tolerate this insult to Shankaracharya and Sanatan).
The suspended officer alleged that the new UGC guidelines would harm general category students and claimed an "anti-Brahmin campaign" was active within the state government. He also expressed distress about the alleged insult to Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and an incident involving the Shankaracharya's followers in Prayagraj.
Administrative Fallout and Inquiry Process
During his suspension period, Agnihotri has been attached to the office of the district magistrate in Shamli. The inquiry against him will be conducted under the supervision of the Bareilly divisional commissioner, as per standard administrative procedures.
Additional Magistrate Saurabh Dubey commented on Agnihotri's conduct, suggesting it showed disregard for established procedures. "The DM repeatedly asked us to engage with the city magistrate and try to make him understand. Every administrative officer here is finding it difficult to believe that he could take such a stand," Dubey added, hinting that external influences might have played a role.
Political and Religious Reactions
The incident has drawn attention from political and religious figures. Bareilly BJP mayor Umesh Gautam visited Agnihotri's official residence after the resignation became public, stating: "UGC law has loopholes. We will definitely oppose it and it will be rectified."
In a significant development, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati spoke with Agnihotri over the phone, offering emotional support. "We propose to give you a bigger rank in the field of religion than the rank given by the government. I am saddened that you had to study so hard to attain this position," the religious leader told the suspended magistrate.
Before formally stepping down from his position, Agnihotri reportedly wrote "Resigned" on his office board and submitted a detailed five-page letter explaining the reasoning behind his decision, highlighting his objections to the UGC guidelines and broader concerns about administrative functioning.
