Key Points:
Prashant Kumar Singh, GST deputy commissioner of Ayodhya, resigned on January 27, 2026, citing moral obligations. His resignation was in protest against remarks made by Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand against CM Yogi Adityanath and PM Narendra Modi.
Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand said missing the holy dip was one of the biggest sorrows of his life. He compared the BJP government’s approach to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and condemned the alleged beating and dishonouring of his disciples.
Singh’s brother Vishwajeet Singh alleged that Prashant Kumar Singh used a fake disability certificate to enter UPPSC. An enquiry and later a judicial probe were notified, while decisions from the UP State Medical Board Director General are still pending.
Over the protests against the recent University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, several administrative officers have resigned from their posts. Prashant Kumar Singh, GST (Goods and Services Tax) deputy commissioner of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh has indulged in a similar move, but it does not involve the new UGC regulations. Interestingly, it involves remarks made by Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranandagainst UP CM Yogi Adityanath and PM Narendra Modi, alleging disrespect of Sanatan Dharma and dishonoring the traditions.
Protesting the aforementioned remarks, Prashant Kumar Singh resigned on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. He cited moral obligations for the resignation, and extension of support for the said leaders.
The prestigious Magh Mela in Prayagraj began on January 18, 2026. While the Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth was going to take a holy dip in the Sangam along with his disciples, he was stopped and manhandled by the UP Police. Following the Police’s actions, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand protested against the state administration, and mentioned that the UP government had hurt Sanatan Dharma devotees deeply.
Shankaracharya ji also said that not being able to take the holy dip was one of the biggest sorrows of his life, and he compared the BJP’s government approach to that of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. He also heavily condemned the way his disciples were manhandled, beaten, their shikhas pulled and dishonoured.
Addressing the media on January 27, 2026, Prashant Singh says that he was deeply hurt by the comments made against UP CM Yogi Adityanath and PM Narendra Modi. He said that the remarks by the Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya were baseless, and he was quite disturbed over the past two days. Saying that since he draws his salary from the government, he felt that it was his duty to resign over the leaders’ insults.
Speaking further, he also said that he tendered his resignation directly to UP Governor Anandiben Patel, and once his resignation is accepted, he will take up social work using his own personal resources. While addressing the media, he also broke down while talking to his wife over the phone, saying that he was deeply troubled by the event.
Vishwajeet Singh, Prashant Kumar Singh’s brother however, has a different story to say. In a letter (December 19, 2025) to the Director General of State Medical Board (Lucknow), Health Department, Uttar Pradesh, Vishwajeet Singh said that Prashant Kumar Singh used a fake disability certificate to take the UP Public Service Commission (UPPSC) exams. Vishwajeet Singh complained that on August 16, 2021, he had officially complained about inspection of Prashant Singh’s disability certificate. Following his complaints, an enquiry committee was set up to probe the incident.
Vishwajeet Singh complained to the Chief Medical Officer, Mau, UP, who after taking cognizance of the matter, directed the complaint to the appropriate authorities.
Vishwajeet further said that the committee set enquiry dates on September 28, 2021 and October 7, 2021. Prashant Singh was not present on both the dates. Following his absence from the investigation, Vishwajeet Singh complained against him on October 13, 2025, asking for another enquiry, and a judicial probe as well, which was officially then notified on November 28, 2025. It is also to be noted that Vishwajeet Singh also made a similar complaint against Jaya Singh in the same letters mentioned previously.
Prashant Singh, Vishwajeet Singh and Jaya Singh are siblings. Their father’s name is Tripurari Singh, as mentioned in the letter. Decisions from the UP State Medical Board Director General are yet to be made.
Prashant Kuamr Singh’s resignation follows a similar move by Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri. Agnihotri resigned on January 26, 2026, citing irregular norms and regulations of the new UGC 2026 guidelines, and also the insult of Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand by the state administration. He said that the new UGC norms were against General (upper caste/unreserved) students, and could lead to atrocities against Brahmins.
Prashant Kumar Singh’s resignation has further intensified an already polarising controversy where faith, politics, and personal conviction collide. While he mentions his resignation as a moral stand, his brother’s allegations regarding a fake disability certificate have sparked critical reactions, raising fresh questions about credibility, intent, and accountability as the episode continues to unfold.
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