The suspended Bareilly magistrate is threatening unrest in Delhi from February 7 over the SC/ST Act

Former Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri, suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government on charges of indiscipline, has said he will protest in Delhi from February 7 if the Center does not repeal the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The 2019 Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officer, who made headlines after resigning as Bareilly city magistrate, made the announcement after meeting Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Sunday (February 2, 2026) at the Srividya Math in Kedarghat here.

Mr Agnihotri said several organizations from the upper caste community would join the agitation if the Central government fails to repeal the SC/ST Act before February 6.

Responding to questions about his meeting with Swami Avimukteshwaranand, who was reportedly prevented by the government from taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam during Magh Mela in Prayagraj on January 18, Mr Agnihotri called it a “fortunate coincidence” and not part of any political strategy.

He said Swami Avimukteshwaranand – the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand – had earlier invited him to Prayagraj but he could not meet him due to lack of time.

“With his arrival in Kashi, I got the chance to meet him,” he said.

While interacting with the media, Mr Agnihotri said there was widespread resentment among the people over the new rules of the University Grants Commission (UGC). “The core electorate is angry with the government,” he said, describing the 1989 SC/ST Act as the “blackest law” in the country.

Claiming that 85% of the population was affected by the law, Mr Agnihotri alleged that 95% of the cases registered under the law were false, adding that upper caste organizations across the country supported his stand.

The Uttar Pradesh government suspended Mr Agnihotri, then appointed as Bareilly Nagar Magistrate, on January 26 on charges of indiscipline.

Earlier the same day, he had resigned, expressing his displeasure over government policies, especially the new UGC regulations and issues related to Swami Avimukteshwaranand, sparking a major administrative and political controversy.