New Delhi: CBI's interim chief Nageshwar Rao, who took over the reins of the premier investigating agency of the country as the government took a stopgap measure to deal with the feud between ex-director Alok Verma and ex-special director Rakesh Asthana, was the joint director of the organisation until a day ago. One of the factors determining his selection might have been his long association with the Sangh Parivar.

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Rao's Hindutva background

•        Rao is close to key members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and is considered to be a champion of Hindu cultural assertion.

•        Rao is an IPS officer of the Odisha cadre.

•        He has been working with several organisations on causes like freeing temples from state control, lobbying the government for a ban on beef exports and scrapping laws that discriminate against Hindus and favour minorities.

•        Rao frequently attends events of think tanks like the India Foundation and Vivekananda International Foundation. He is a close aide of Ram Madhav, who heads the India Foundation and is a BJP leader.

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•        Rao helped formulate the Charter of Key Hindu Demands that calls for an end to legalised and institutionalised discrimination against Hindus in India.

•        Rao also attends talks that are held by the Srijan Foundation at Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach). The foundation aims to ‘change the anti-Hindu and anti-national narrative of the Leftist-Marxist historians by telling Indian history from point of view of Indians’.

•        According to a report in The Economic Times, sources said that Rao held a talk with Hindu activists, scholars, and professionals about beef exports leading to an increased number of cattle smuggling cases in India.

•        Rao is the recipient of the President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service, President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service, Special Duty Medal, and Odisha Governor's Medal.