Lucknow: The journey from resignation to finally leaving the city was far from easy for suspended Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri. Police and administrative efforts to isolate him from supporters gradually proved effective, after which five of his close associates from Lucknow and Bareilly persuaded him to go to his family and carefully consider his future course. He eventually agreed and left the city on Wednesday night.
Before his departure, Agnihotri alleged that his official residence had been turned into a “mini jail”. Calling it a violation of human rights, he claimed that several organisations across the state were in touch with him and said he would soon take a major decision after reviewing his options.
Speaking on the new UGC provisions, Agnihotri said that the upper-caste community across the country was deeply disturbed. He alleged that the rules treat students from the general category as offenders by default and make it easy for anyone to falsely implicate young people and their families. He described the system as “poisoning society”, warning that it would divide students into groups, increase internal conflict in educational institutions and could even lead to civil strife in the country. He further claimed that a situation could arise in which the Indian Army might be forced to handle internal unrest instead of guarding the nation’s borders.
Meanwhile, Additional District Magistrate (City) Saurabh Dubey rejected claims that Agnihotri was under house arrest. He said Agnihotri continues to be a public servant and is residing in the government officers’ residential colony. Security was deployed as a precautionary measure.