BAREILLY: Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri on Tuesday declined to comment on his suspension by the Uttar Pradesh government, maintaining that he had already tendered his resignation a day before.
He claimed that a conspiracy was hatched against him, and that he overheard a derogatory remark about him while he was at the district magistrate's office on Monday night.
Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service officer, resigned from service on Monday citing deep disagreement with government policies, especially the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, which he said could foment caste-based discontent in campuses.
His resignation has stoked a major political and administrative controversy in the state.
Talking to reporters at his official residence on Tuesday morning, the Bareilly City Magistrate said he has already resigned and therefore has nothing to say on the suspension order.
"As you are aware, I have already submitted my resignation. Whether you suspend me or take any other action after that, I have no comment," he said.
Agnihotri alleged that when he was at District Magistrate Avinash Singh's office on Monday night, he overheard a phone conversation on speaker mode in which a person allegedly told Singh, "The pandit has gone mad, keep him there the whole night."
He claimed that once this information spread, he received calls from various social organisations from across districts, who raised objections to the remark.
Agnihotri said he was asked to visit the district magistrate's office and find out who made the call.
"We will go to the district magistrate's office shortly to place our side and ascertain the identity of the caller who made the remark," he told reporters.
When pointed out by reporters that senior officials have denied that such an incident took place at the district magistrate's residence, Agnihotri said, "Now people will obviously deny it.
This is a matter of investigation.
Get the call traced, constitute a Special Investigation Team and find out whose phone call it was.
When I am saying that a call came on the district magistrate's number, those who are part of the system will deny it, as instructed by their seniors.
They will say what the district magistrate asks them to say."
Referring to his suspension, Agnihotri said he was accused of indiscipline and a departmental inquiry was ordered, with instructions to attach him to the Shamli district magistrate's office during the probe period.
"There is no question of me going to Shamli as I have already resigned," he said.
When asked if he would not be technically remain in service until his resignation is accepted, Agnihotri said efforts were made to buy time before his resignation so that disciplinary action could be initiated against him.
He said there was an attempt to persuade him to delay his resignation by a day or more, or to go on leave after submitting a written application, which would have provided an opportunity to suspend him first and "change the narrative" but "fortunately, I was present there and heard the conversation myself."
"When that did not succeed, the suspension order was issued late at night," he alleged.
Asked what he would do if his resignation was not accepted, Agnihotri said resignation was a constitutional right.
"You cannot force someone to work. I am no longer part of the system, I have resigned. Now whether they accept it or not is a matter of prestige for them. For this, there is the High Court and the Supreme Court," he said.
On his future course of action, Agnihotri said he has almost vacated his official residence and removed most of his belongings from there.
In his resignation letter, Agnihotri described the new UGC regulations issued on January 13 this year as a "black law", alleging that they are vitiating the academic environment in colleges and should be withdrawn immediately.
The UGC rules, 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.
He had also questioned the role of local administration in prohibiting Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth in Uttarakhand, from taking a holy dip at Triveni Sangam during Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
Agnihotri said that after his resignation, Swami Avimukteshwaranand spoke to him over the phone.
"I respect him. It would not be appropriate for me to say anything more on this separate issue at present. I have received his blessings during the conversation," he said.
When asked if he would like to convey any message to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Agnihotri said he had nothing personal against anyone.
He said there was perception of an "anti-Brahmin bias" within the system and that "tag" has come to be associated with the government.
"There is a particular ideology of Brahmin opposition prevailing across the state. That is all I want to say," he remarked.
The PCS officer added that he has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter.
"When the state machinery is failing, the Prime Minister should himself constitute an SIT.
If a district magistrate is being spoken to in such a manner, the first thing that must be done is to reveal the identity of the person (on the other side of the call) who said 'the pandit has gone mad'.
It clearly reflects the prejudice that person holds against Brahmins," Agnihotri said.