New Delhi: Former CBI additional director and Odisha cadre IPS officer M Nageswar Rao is facing flak on social media for his comment that activist Swami Agnivesh’s death is “good riddance”.
Within hours of Agnivesh’s death on Friday, Rao put out a tweet saying he was an “anti-Hindu donning saffron clothes. You did enormous damage to Hinduism. I am ashamed that you were born as a Telugu Brahmin. My grievance against Yamaraj is why did he wait this long!”
A 1986 batch officer, Rao was ADG, Railways, in Odisha prior to his appointment as joint director of CBI.
Many said it was wrong on the part of Rao – who was IG, CRPF, during 2008 Kandhamal riots in 2008 and played a key role in diffusing the communal tension — to “abuse the dead”.
Noted historian S Irfan Habib tweeted: “You are a disgrace. Can imagine what all you must have done as a police officer? Abusing the dead may be Hindutva but is certainly not Hinduism. Better late than never. Get yourself treated.”
Human rights worker and writer Harsh Mander said: “Very sad to read this tweet by a serving police officer, flaunting such uncivility and communal bias re Swami Agnivesh, a man far taller and better than he will ever be, just after his passing. That he feels he can display his bigotry so brazenly reflects on those who lead the nation.”
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera flayed Rao’s tweet, describing Swami Agnivesh as one who “stood like a rock to stop RSS from appropriating and swallowing the Arya Samaj.”
Activist Rahul Easwar didn’t spare Rao, tweeting: “May Bhagwan Krishna save #Hindu & #Hindustan from #Hate Virus.”
A native of Warangal in Andhra Pradesh, Rao had headed the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and also served as Superintendent of Police (SP) in four districts of Odisha — Mayurbhanj, Nabarangapur, Bargarh and Jagatsinghpur — as well as that of the Crime Branch. He received the Chief Minister’s award for his work during cyclones Phailin (2013) and Hudhud (2014).
