Varanasi

Former Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri, who was suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government on charges of indiscipline, on Monday said he would launch a protest in Delhi from February 7 if the Centre does not withdraw the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The 2019-batch Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officer made the announcement after meeting Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati at the Srividya Math in Kedarghat here on Sunday.

Agnihotri said organisations representing upper-caste communities would participate in the stir if the central government fails to withdraw the Act by February 6.

Responding to queries about his meeting with Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, Agnihotri said it was a “fortunate coincidence” and not part of any political strategy. He said the seer had earlier invited him to Prayagraj, but the meeting could not take place due to lack of time.

Speaking to reporters, Agnihotri claimed there was widespread resentment among people over the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and alleged that the government’s “core voter base” was unhappy.

Describing the SC/ST Act, enacted in 1989, as the “blackest law” in the country, he claimed that 85 per cent of the population was affected by it and alleged that 95 per cent of cases registered under the law were false.

The Uttar Pradesh government on January 26 suspended Agnihotri, who was posted as Bareilly Nagar Magistrate, citing indiscipline.

Earlier that day, he had resigned from his post, expressing dissatisfaction over government policies, particularly the new UGC rules and issues related to Swami Avimukteshwaranand, triggering a political and administrative controversy.