Shankaracharya row: Ayodhya Deputy GST Commissioner Prashant Kumar resigns in support of UP Govt
Explaining his decision, Singh said that government officials are not robots and cannot remain silent when the government they draw their salary from is being targeted.
Amid the ongoing Shankaracharya controversy, Prashant Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of GST in Ayodhya, has resigned from his post in support of the Uttar Pradesh government. He quit his job in protest against the statements made by Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand.
Explaining his decision, Singh said that government officials are not robots and cannot remain silent when the government they draw their salary from is being targeted. He stated that Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand has been making baseless allegations against the Chief Minister, and remaining quiet in such a situation was not acceptable to him.
"In favour of the government and to oppose Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand, I have resigned,” he said talking to India TV.
On being asked if he wants to join politics, Prashant Kumar said he has no such plans but he wants to serve the country in all possible ways and his decision was not influenced by politics.
Kumar submitted a two-page resignation addressed to the Governor. In his resignation letter, he clearly stated that he is taking this step in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
He mentioned that he had been mentally distressed for the past three days, which led him to make this decision. He further said that once his resignation is accepted, he will actively contribute to social service activities using his personal resources.
Bareilly City Magistrate resigns expressing displeasure over government policies
Earlier on Monday, Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri had resigned from his post, expressing displeasure over government policies, particularly the new UGC regulations and issues related to Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand. Agnihotri, a 2019-batch UP PCS officer, sent his resignation via email to the Governor and Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh.