By Nick Mordowanec AND Monica Sager

ulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump‘s pick to be the director of national intelligence, has faced scrutiny over alleged connections to Russia and the Kremlin as well as a visit with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but some who have worked with her and have followed her political career told Newsweek that they are concerned by her ties to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu nationalist movement that counts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a longtime member.

The RSS formed nearly a century ago and is described by some as a “Hindu Cultural organization.” It has been accused by some critics of seeking to vanquish Indian Christians and Muslims in order to to establish a Hindu nation. Modi, whom Gabbard met with in 2019, is a lifelong RSS member and is associated with the political wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Gabbard, an ex-Democrat who officially joined the Republican Party this year, was recently nominated by Trump to serve as DNI, overseeing 18 intelligence agencies including the CIA and NSA. The military veteran and former congresswoman ran for president in the Democratic primary in 2020. She’s been criticized for years for purported affiliations with foreign entities like Russia and Syria.

Gabbard has consistently denied any ties to Russia and once filed a defamation suit against Hillary Clinton for suggesting that she had been “groomed” by the Kremlin to run for president as a third party candidate. The suit was later dropped. Gabbard has also said she opposes Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.

While her Russian and Syrian comments and actions will face scrutiny, some have said that her ties to the RSS should be examined.

“Having someone like Tulsi so closely tied to the RSS and its affiliates in America benefits India at a time when India is basically run by the RSS,” independent journalist Pieter Friedrich told Newsweek.

Newsweek reached out for comment to Gabbard, her husband Abraham Williams, her father, Hawaii State Senator Mike Gabbard, individuals who have worked on her campaigns, the Department of Justice, and the purported Science of Identity Foundation (SIF) group in which she has also has ties, as well as those who have been identified as SIF members.

This story was originally published in newsweek.com. Read the full story here.