Alankar Agnihotri
NEW DELHI: Calling the new University Grants Commission (UGC) rules a “black law,” Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri resigned on Monday, saying the new rules meant for higher educational institutions could foment caste-based discontent.Agnihotri alleged that the new UCC law would vitiate the academic environment in colleges and should be withdrawn immediately.Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service officer, sent his resignation by e-mail to Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh, the officials told news agency PTI.The new rules notified by the UGC on January 13 — the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026 — have sparked widespread criticism from general category students who argue that the framework could lead to discrimination against them.The new regulations, introduced to stop caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities, ask institutions to set up special committees, helplines and monitoring teams to handle complaints, especially from SC, ST and OBC students.Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government ordered disciplinary action against Agnihotri and attached him to the Shamli District Magistrate.‘Necessary to awaken’In his resignation letter, Agnihotri said he becomes necessary to “awaken” the government when it adopts policies that “divide society and the nation”. Talking to reporters after attending the Republic Day function Monday morning, Agnihotri said that the new UGC rules would lead to atrocities against Brahmins. The provisions were discriminatory and could lead to social unrest and internal discontent, he said.‘I was held hostage’Levelling a serious charge against the Bareilly district magistrate Avinash Singh, Agnihotri, an alumnus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) where he studied B.Tech and LLB, said he was held hostage and verbally abused, with people at the DM’s residence saying: “Pandit paagal ho gayaa hai” (Pandit has gone mad).”I was held hostage at the DM’s residence for 45 minutes. A call came to the DM from Lucknow. I was verbally abused, and they said, ‘pandit has gone mad (pandit paagal ho gayaa hai). Keep him hostage all night.’ I had already informed the media about my situation. I was released at the behest of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP),” Agnihotri was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.Avinash Singh, however, dismissed the allegations, saying that when Agnihotri came to see him, all the Additional District Magistrates (ADMs), Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs), Circle Officers, Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) officials, and the Senior Superintendent of Police of Bareilly were present at the DM’s residence.Politics erupts over the incidentPolitical leaders, particularly the ruling BJP’s rivals, reacted to the development, saying that the resignation was a serious indicator of administrative pressure.Reacting to the development, state Congress president Ajay Rai called Agnihotri’s resignation a serious issue.In an X post in Hindi, Rai wrote, “The lathi charge on Shankaracharya (Avimukteshwaranand) and his disciples, and the administrative pressure — all this shows that under the BJP rule, the Constitution, faith and freedom of expression are all under threat. The truth must come out. The state will be governed by the Constitution, not by fear,” he wrote.Senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Bareilly MP Praveen Singh Aron also responded to the development.”The true strength of governance lies in upholding the principles of righteous rule (Raj Dharma) and constitutional values. This is not a question of politics, but of the very soul of democracy,” he added.Meanwhile, Brahmin leaders have been gathering at the state guest house in Bareilly since Monday afternoon.A resident of Kanpur Nagar, Agnihotri previously served as a sub-divisional magistrate in key districts, including Unnao, Balrampur, and Lucknow. He is known in administrative circles for his straightforward views and strict working style. He has also worked in the United States. Go to Source
