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Millions of Indians have been busy laughing their guts out to a steady stream of ludicrous sermons from a cult leader Nithyananda for over a year now. The jokes and memes about Nithyananda were so funny they distracted people from the fact that he was a rape-accused, self-styled Godman⁠— and not just a dumb preacher with bizarre theories about physics, chemistry, biology and how rich people could create a fund that they could access in their next birth. As the cliche goes, history has a way of repeating itself. While the police dragged their feet and the people ignored the sheer audacity of a tainted cult leader releasing videos, Nithyananda has reportedly fled to <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/where-is-rape-accused-self-styled-godman-nithyananda-the-answer-lies-in-a-new-nation-1624879-2019-12-03">an island near Trinidad</a>, where he claims to have set up a separate nation for Hindus ‘who have lost the right to practice their religion’ in different countries. This ‘new nation’ has its own passport, emblem, and cabinet of ministers, the Kailaasa website claimed. Now, the Gujarat state police <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOEuDmgcyX0&amp;rel=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;enhanceprivacy=1">has sought Interpol's help</a> in nabbing the fugitive, who <a href="https://www.khaleejtimes.com/editorials-columns/whether-a-godman-is-more-of-a-con-man">according to the Khaleej Times</a>, was worth $23 million a few years ago before his popularity spiked further. Sounds a bit like Wild, Wild Country⁠— <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/wild-wild-country-subject-says-netflix-infringed-copyrights">the popular Netflix documentary on Rajneesh, or Osho</a> as he was popularly called, who took Oregon by storm a few decades ago? It does because the story is eerily similar. While both the mainstream media and social media is abuzz with the ‘trending’ story about the birth of Kailaasa, the name Nithyananda has come up with for his mythical nation, the sequence of events leading up to his disappearance is intriguing too. May 2019: Nithyananda’s followers abducted four children Four children from Bengaluru were abducted by people in Nithyananda’s Ahmedabad Ashram ⁠— a hermitage ⁠— who sought donations from the parent as ransom. The children remained in Ahmedabad for six months. November 2, 2019: Two minors are rescued but other two sisters are ‘missing’ The parent managed to get 2 of his children back with the help of Gujarat State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. That is when shocking details emerged of how the children were abused in Nithyananda’s custody. It took 15 days more before the cops swung into action and in all that time two girls remained in captivity. November 17, 2019: A case was filed against Nithyananda but no one was really looking for him The <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/fir-filed-against-nithyananda/articleshow/72099720.cms">first information report</a> (FIR) was filed against the Guru but no action was taken against the perpetrators. It is only after the court issued a notice against the godman, three days later, did the cops make the first, two people from the Ashram. Not the kingpin Nithyananda, because he had gone missing by that time. November 22, 2019: A patron gets arrested The Ahmedabad Police arrested the principal of the prominent Delhi Public School in the Gujarat city, for giving away a part of the school land to Nithyananda to set up his monastic retreat. This was in violation of the law and a reflection of the cult leader’s clout. Nithyananda hails from the southern state of Tamil Nadu and has been seen with prominent right-wing personalities like Rajiv Malhotra, an Indian-American author who, after a career in the computer and telecom industries, went on to found the Infinity Foundation, which focuses on Indic studies. 
 
 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="t0JftnvuwSU" title="Hinduism and the Future of Science, Rajiv Malhotra Interviews Paramahamsa Nithyananda" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t0JftnvuwSU/mqdefault.jpg"></div>









 There was also Mohandas Pai, the former Director at Infosys, sharing the stage with the godman and indulging the latter’s fantastic claims. 
 
 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="5ZQqWE86vY8" title="A Message for World Leaders: Change Always Comes from Soft Power, Not Hard Power" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5ZQqWE86vY8/mqdefault.jpg"></div>









 November 27, 2019: The cops blamed the victim and delayed the manhunt. The <a href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/gujarat-hc-asks-police-trace-women-who-went-missing-nithyananda-ashram-112997">police department told the court</a> that the girls⁠— one 21 years old and the other 18⁠— do not want to return to the parents and offered to address the court via video conference from Trinidad and Tobago. Still, it did not strike the cops that the accused Nithyananda may also have fled the country until the ‘fugitive decided to make his declaration of a new nation, Kailaasa, and its website public on December 3. Here’s a former devotee explaining how she was brainwashed at the Ashram. 
 
 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="XsnxFh1orY4" title="Brainwashed by Nithyananda; Now I'm Speaking Out About his DANGEROUS CULT!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XsnxFh1orY4/mqdefault.jpg"></div>









 The mockery of law started way before the police got involved Nithyananda was accused of rape in Karnataka in 2012.He managed to delay the process using many tricks, including the one time where he claimed to be impotent. However, in 2014, the Supreme Court of India ordered the Karnataka High Court to frame charges and begin the trial. It took <a href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/rape-case-against-nithyananda-trial-finally-begins-after-8-years-legal-hurdles-86233">another four years</a> for the trial to begin. In the meantime, his business boomed. He gained followers around the world and as many videos would suggest, they could be fanatic. A persecution complex tied them together and kept them devoted to their Guru beyond all reason. While the case is pending, Nithyananda found patrons in Ahmedabad, like the school Principal, who gave him space for another retreat for the godman and his gang of followers. It is also possible that the website and the declaration of a new nation are all a distraction and the accused may still be hiding in India. But the pace of investigations and actions by the Police do not inspire confidence among those who want to see justice. As Nithyananda’s ardent fan Rajiv Malhotra ⁠— who chairs the Centre for Indic Studies in the University of Massachusetts⁠—- <a href="https://rajivmalhotra.com/library/articles/swami-nithyananda-persecution-2-0-views-swami-nithyanandas-case/">puts it</a>, “His teachings resemble those of Osho in many ways, with the added touch that he has revived many rituals and traditional practices alongside the Hindu dharma theory.” The fact is that even many Hindu scholars refuse to associate with Nithyananda’s spectacular claims⁠— he once said he had delayed sunrise by 40 minutes⁠— and ascribe any credibility, not even one based on faith, to his sermons. If indeed the similarities between Nithyananda and Osho play out the way it did in Wasco county in Oregon, 1980s, it will be tragic⁠— for the rape victim awaiting justice, for the image of India as well as Trinidad, as well as the religion he claims to represent. And if history teaches us anything, for those seeking faith at any cost this may be the latest disappointment but this won’t be the last. SEE ALSO: 
 
 
 
 <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="63370320" title="Netflix's latest docuseries 'Wild Wild Country' depicts a controversial 'sex cult,' and it has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

'Wild Wild Country' near Trinidad? An Indian cult leader plotted his getaway while people kept laughing at his crazy sermons ⁠— and now the state wants Interpol’s help

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The city of Newark says it was fooled into signing a sister cities agreement with a fake country.</li><li>The so-called nation of Kailasa was fabricated by a Hindu guru who fled rape charges in India.</li></ul>The city of Newark, New Jersey, has admitted that it was duped into signing an official partnership with a supposed Hindu nation. The country, however, doesn't exist.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0aR2EagjXM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">At a January 12 ceremony,</a> Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and several city officials signed an agreement to become sister cities with the "United States of Kailasa."Two women representing Kailasa, garbed in what appears to be traditional clothing and jewelry, attended the ceremony. One of them gave an eight-minute speech before the city council, thanking Newark for the partnership and speaking of creating an "enlightened Hindu civilization."But Kailasa is the fabrication of Swami Nithyananda, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/bengaluru-non-bailable-warrant-against-controversial-godman-nithyananda/articleshow/93665585.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Hindu guru who fled India in 2019 when he was charged with rape.</a>Nithyananda, a self-styled holy man who titles himself the "Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism," claims to have created Kailasa as a "revival" of a Hindu nation. The BBC reported that he also says he's purchased an island off the coast of Ecuador, though the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64807659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecuadorian government told the outlet it has neither helped him nor given him asylum.</a>Newark's city council, realizing six days after the ceremony that the city was fooled, <a href="https://newark.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&amp;clip_id=542&amp;meta_id=441348" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted on January 18 to rescind its partnership with the faux nation,</a> <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/newark-sister-city-scam-kailasa/">CBS first reported on March 8.</a>The city told CBS in a statement that the signing was a "regrettable incident," but that it "remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect."It added that no money was involved in the signing of the ceremony, per CBS.The Newark City Council did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.<h2>Kailasa appears at United Nations meetings</h2>Meanwhile, the same woman who spoke at the Newark signing appeared twice at United Nations meetings in Geneva in February, claiming to represent Kailasa. Calling herself Vijayapriya Nithyananda, she spoke at a discussion on how women are represented in decision-making systems on February 22, and at another meeting on sustainable development on February 24, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64807659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per the BBC.</a>A UN spokesperson told the BBC that her contributions made at the meetings weren't relevant or would be scrapped from consideration.A Twitter account for Kailasa has in the meantime posted multiple photos of its representatives meeting with UN diplomatic staff or ambassadors for various countries. These include ambassadors or staff for the <a href="https://twitter.com/SriNithyananda/status/1635668927698051075">United Arab Emirates</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SriNithyananda/status/1633479953558667266">Gambia,</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SriNithyananda/status/1633481382805528584" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bangladesh,</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SriNithyananda/status/1634416327791198208" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equatorial Guinea</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SriNithyananda/status/1634416457881726977" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Montenegro</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SriNithyananda/status/1633481702327582723" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lebanon</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SriNithyananda/status/1629849548335054851">Lithuania</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SriNithyananda/status/1629771058759753728" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Egypt</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/SriNithyananda/status/1633480227585138691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Burundi.</a>It's unclear if the staff or ambassadors were aware of Kailasa being a fake country at the time. They have also not clarified whether they met these women in an official capacity or during chance encounters. A spokesperson for Lithuania's mission to the UN confirmed to Insider that one of its employees had met with the Kailasa representatives to "listen to their concerns." "Since this meeting did not take place with the official representative of Lithuania, it does not represent any national position of Lithuania towards Kailasa," they said.The UN missions for the rest of the above nations did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.Kailasa is signing agreements with cities like Newark and trying to be seen with international officials in a bid to legitimize itself through disinformation, Mohan Dutta, the dean's chair of communication at Massey University in New Zealand, told Insider."What they are doing is taking something that is entirely a falsity, that is non-existent, and materializing it through these performances," said Dutta, who's tracked Kailasa since it was founded in 2019. "It's really powerful and shows how disinformation works."Nithyananda, the organization's founder, has claimed that Kailasa is now issuing tourist visas, has a currency, and has established embassies around the world, though it has no internationally recognized territory, Dutta said.The guru also claims to be able to disprove Einstein's theory of relativity and possess paranormal abilities, Dutta said.Groups like Kailasa that center on a holy man who espouses pseudo-scientific claims are typically motivated either by the monetary gain from donations, or exploit followers through sexual and physical violence, Dutta added..And Newark's failure to spot any warning signs before partnering with Kailasa is particularly worrying, he said."It is flabbergasting that you have bureaucrats and politicians at the local government in a democratic state having failed to do their duty of due diligence," Dutta said.In a statement to Insider, a representative for Kailasa denied the rape accusations against Nithyananda. The representative also said the guru never claimed to own an island, and compared Nithyananda to the Dalai Lama.

Newark was tricked into becoming sister cities with a Hindu nation. The catch: the country doesn't exist.

<ul><li><keyword id="259787" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Congress">Delhi Congress</keyword> in an emergency meeting of the state unit under the leadership of its president Chaudhary Anil Kumar passed a resolution demanding that <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> should be appointed as the president of the Congress without any further delay, to provide dynamic and youthful leadership to the party in these trying times.</li><li>The resolution noted that only a powerful and fearless leader like Rahul Gandhi can expose the "lies and falsehood" of the BJP and the Narendra Modi government.</li><li>The resolution also noted to make the people aware of the dangerous direction the country was going under the Modi government.</li></ul> A day before the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Delhi Congress unit passed a resolution thanking party interim chief Sonia Gandhi for her dynamic leadership and also demanded that Rahul Gandhi should be appointed as party President immediately. Delhi Congress in an emergency meeting of the state unit under the leadership of its president Chaudhary Anil Kumar passed a resolution demanding that Rahul Gandhi should be appointed as the president of the Congress without any further delay, to provide dynamic and youthful leadership to the party in these trying times. The resolution noted that only a powerful and fearless leader like Rahul Gandhi can expose the "lies and falsehood" of the BJP and the Narendra Modi government. The resolution also noted to make the people aware of the dangerous direction the country was going under the Modi government. The emergency meeting was attended by several senior leaders of the party, including ex-MPs, ex-Ministers and ex-MLAs. The resolution passed by the Delhi Congress also thanked Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi for inspiring the Congress cadres to work among the masses to solve their problems under testing circumstances, while the BJP government and its leaders kept a blind to the sufferings of the people, including lakhs of migrant workers who were left to fend for themselves. The resolution, while acknowledging the freedom of speech, felt that some senior leaders going public with their statement regarding a change of leadership in the Congress was improper, as it not only gave ammunition to the opponents to criticise the party, but also demoralised the party cadres. The resolution noted that this was an issue that should have been raised in the internal forum of the party, instead of going public by leaking it to the media. Sonia Gandhi was made the party interim President in August last year after Rahul Gandhi stepped down following the debacle in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The CWC meeting on Monday could be a stormy affair after a letter written by scores of party leaders has surfaced, calling for drastic changes and reform in the grand old party. The party sources said that there is no challenge to the leadership of Rahul Gandhi but if the name of another person is pushed forward, there will be protests from others. It's anticipated that Rahul Gandhi may push the name of KC Venugopal, so everybody is gearing up with their strategies. But if the CWC decides for elections, the matter may be laid to rest. In the meantime, top Congress managers are busy reaching out to dissenters in the party. However, after the letter surfaced calling for reform from top to bottom within the Congress, the pro-Gandhi family lobby has come out against the letter and lashed out at those behind it. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also rejected the letter, as he said in a statement that Sonia Gandhi should continue as party president. "What the Congress needs is a leadership that is acceptable not just to a few but to the entire party, through its rank and file, and the nation at large," he said, adding that the Gandhis were the right fit for this role. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/how-to-check-name-in-pm-samman-nidhi-yojana-installment-and-helpline-numbers/articleshow/77537856.cms">PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana’s installment — how to check in 5 easy steps</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/india-brazil-and-south-africa-will-face-the-harshest-economic-impact-from-the-coronavirus-in-major-nations-as-theyre-corrupt-and-badly-run-a-report-says/articleshow/77692593.cms">India, Brazil, and South Africa will face the 'harshest' economic impact from the coronavirus in major nations as they're corrupt and badly run, a report says</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/nithyanada-promises-gold-dollar-bills-new-reserve-bank-on-ganesh-chaturthi/articleshow/77686328.cms">Dollar bills made of gold, grains as currency⁠, and a new reserve bank— Indian godman Nithyananda’s promises for believers of Kailaasa</a>

You Searched For "Nithyananda Speech" and got 3 results

'Wild Wild Country' near Trinidad? An Indian cult leader plotted his getaway while people kept laughing at his crazy sermons ⁠— and now the state wants Interpol’s help

Sriram Iyer

Newark was tricked into becoming sister cities with a Hindu nation. The catch: the country doesn't exist.

Matthew Loh

Delhi Congress passes resolution demanding Rahul Gandhi as the new party chief

IANS

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