Ayodhya GST Deputy Commissioner Resigns Over Shankaracharya Row
Prashant Kumar Singh said he was deeply hurt by what he described as derogatory remarks allegedly made by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati against CM Yogi Adityanath.
Published : January 27, 2026 at 4:40 PM IST
Ayodhya: A deputy commissioner in the Ayodhya GST department on Tuesday sent his resignation to the Uttar Pradesh governor, stating that his decision was in support of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath amid the ongoing controversy involving Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati.
Prashant Kumar Singh's two-page resignation letter says he was deeply hurt by what he described as derogatory remarks allegedly made by Shankaracharya against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "I am the deputy commissioner in Ayodhya. I have been working in support of the government, in support of the Chief Minister, in support of the Prime Minister, and in support of the Constitution of this nation."
He further said that he had been "disturbed" due to the "unrestrained statements" of Swami Avimukteshwaranand. "These are divisive statements which involve commenting on the character of the Chief Minister of such a large state. This government is our benefactor, and we are indebted to it. It is not my duty to behave like a robot or a machine, merely drawing a salary from the government. If someone commits a mistake against my state, against my Chief Minister or against my Prime Minister, I will not remain silent," he said.
#WATCH | Ayodhya, UP | On his resignation, Prashant Kumar Singh, GST Commissioner, Ayodhya, says, " in favour of the government and to oppose shankaracharya swami avimukteshwaranand, i have resigned. for the last 2 days, i was deeply hurt by his baseless allegations against our cm… pic.twitter.com/ajPjHErYIQ
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2026
Calling himself a sensitive person, Singh said his protest would remain within constitutional limits. "I am a sensitive person, so I will definitely protest, but within limits and within the constitutional framework. I have submitted my resignation through the proper channels to the Governor, and it will reach her through the established government process," he said.
This marks the second resignation by a senior official in the last two days. Earlier on Monday, provincial civil service officer Alankar Agnihotri had resigned from his post as Bareilly city magistrate, citing the revised UGC guidelines and what he described as the "insult" of the Shankaracharya.
Also Read
