New Delhi, September 12: Former IPS officer M Nageswara Rao is facing flak for celebrating the death of Arya Samaj leader and social activist Swami Agnivesh. The Indian Police Foundation, a think tank for reform in the police department, came down heavily on Nageswara Rao for calling Swami Agnivesh’s death "good riddance". The Indian Police Foundation said Rao's tweet on Agnivesh "desecrated the police uniform". Swami Agnivesh Dies: VP Venkaiah Naidu, Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Ashok Gehlot, Others React to Social Activist's Demise.

Yesterday, just hours after Agnivesh’s death, Rao put out a tweet saying he was an "anti-Hindu donning saffron clothes". The ex-IPS officer tweeted: "GOOD RIDDANCE @swamiagnivesh You were an Anti-Hindu donning saffron clothes. You did enormous damage to Hinduism. I am ashamed that you were born as a Telugu Brahmin. A wolf in sheep’s clothes. My grievance against Yamaraj is why did he wait this long." 'UPSC Jihad': IPS Association, Officers Condemn Sudarshan TV For News Report Targeting Muslim Candidates.

Reacting to Rao's remarks, the Indian Police Foundation tweeted: "Tweeting such hate messages by a retired officer posing as an IPS officer - he has desecrated the police uniform which he wore and embarrassed the government. He demoralises the entire police f

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orce in the country, especially the young officers." A 1986-batch IPS officer from the Odisha cadre, Rao was slammed by many others as well.

Indian Police Foundation Calls Out M Nageswara Rao For Celebrating Swami Anginesh's Death:

Activist Rahul Easwar reacted to Rao's tweet on Agnivesh saying: "May Bhagwan Krishna save #Hindu & #Hindustan from #Hate Virus." Historian Irfan Habib hit out at Rao saying: "Abusing the dead may be Hindutva but is certainly not Hinduism." He also questioned what he would have done "as a police officer".

Tweeples Calls Out M Nageswara Rao For Celebrating Swami Anginesh's Death:

Swami Agnivesh, a former MLA from Haryana, founded a political party, Arya Sabha, that was based on the principles of the Arya Samaj, in 1970. He was also an advocate for the dialogue between religions. He died after a cardiac arrest at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Delhi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 12, 2020 02:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).