Swami Avimukteshwaranand row: Ayodhya GST Commissioner resigns in support of Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh: A senior Uttar Pradesh tax official resigned from his post on Tuesday amid a widening controversy involving Swami Avimukteshwaranand, saying his decision was meant to express support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Prashant Kumar Singh, Commissioner in the GST Department’s Ayodhya division, said he was hurt by what he described as baseless allegations levelled against the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister over the past two days. He said his resignation was intended as a mark of opposition to Swami Avimukteshwaranand, who has been asked by the state authorities to provide proof relating to his claim to the title of Shankaracharya.

“In favour of the government and in opposition to Swami Avimukteshwaranand, I have resigned,” Singh told reporters. “For the last 2 days, I was deeply hurt by his baseless allegations against our CM and PM. I have certain moral responsibilities towards the government that pays my salary. When I saw that my CM and PM are being insulted, I sent my resignation papers to the Governor,” he said.

Controversy erupts after Prayagraj Magh Mela

The development comes against the backdrop of a dispute between the Uttar Pradesh government and the seer during Mauni Amavasya at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj. Swami Avimukteshwaranand has alleged that he was stopped by the administration from taking a ritual holy dip while being carried in a palanquin. Following the incident, he began a protest by sitting outside his camp. The administration has maintained that restrictions were imposed in the interest of crowd management and safety.

Second resignation involving row in a week

The controversy has also drawn in other officials. Earlier, Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri resigned on Republic Day while publicly criticising government policies and was subsequently suspended by the state government. Agnihotri alleged that an “anti-Brahmin campaign” was underway in Uttar Pradesh and cited the treatment of Swami Avimukteshwaranand and his followers during the Magh Mela as evidence.

Referring to recent incidents, Agnihotri claimed that the seer’s disciples, including elderly monks, were assaulted by the administration. He also linked his resignation to his opposition to the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, notified by the University Grants Commission.

Also Read | Education Minister defends UGC equity rules; student protests erupt across campuses 

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Uma Bharti weighed in on the controversy, saying that seeking proof from Swami Avimukteshwaranand regarding his Shankaracharya title violated established norms. Clarifying her position, Bharti stressed that her remarks should not be seen as criticism of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, for whom she expressed respect and goodwill.

In a post on X, Bharti said that while the administration must firmly maintain law and order, the authority to question or verify a claim to the Shankaracharya title rests only with other Shankaracharyas or a recognised scholarly council. In a separate post, she called for a constructive and amicable resolution between the Uttar Pradesh government and Swami Avimukteshwaranand.

ANI