Ayodhya GST Officer Quits in Support of Modi, Adityanath Over Shankaracharya Row
Ayodhya GST Officer Quits in Support of Modi, Adityanath Over Shankaracharya Row
A UP GST deputy commissioner resigns in Ayodhya, backing PM Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath amid a row sparked by Swami Avimukteshwaranand's remarks and Magh Mela tensions.
Lucknow: A senior UP tax officer, Prashant Singh, has resigned as Ayodhya GST deputy commissioner, saying he is deeply hurt by remarks against PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and CM Yogi Adityanath. He told the governor that he will pursue social work after his resignation and appeared tearful in a video that circulated on social media. Singh emphasized that he is following his rajkiya dharma by obeying state employee rules while protesting what he called insults to the state government, the CM, and the PM. He described Avimukteshwaranand's comments as against the Constitution and democracy and accused the seer of inciting government employees to oppose the administration.
This development follows the resignation of Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri, who quit Monday in protest against new UGC regulations and what he saw as disrespect to Avimukteshwaranand by Prayagraj authorities. Officials reportedly tried to persuade Agnihotri to withdraw his resignation, but he refused and was seen carrying posters critical of the BJP.
The rift is linked to the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, where police allegedly stopped Avimukteshwaranand and followers from proceeding in a chariot for a ritual dip in the Ganga on Mauni Amavasya. The seer publicly attacked the CM afterward, prompting the mela administration to issue a notice asking why he projected himself as Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth. The episode has intensified a political-religious standoff in the state, with the resignations underscoring how intertwined governance, religion, and symbolism have become in the current landscape.
