Fugitive ‘godman’ Nithyananda dupes 30 US cities into signing partner pacts

Controversial Indian godman and fugitive Nithyananda has duped over 30 American into signing a “cultural partnership” with his fictitious nation “United States of Kailasa,” according to US news channel Fox News.

A report in Fox News on Thursday said that “we are finding out the supreme fake pontiff” has a “long list of cities that he’s duped.

The list of cities on the ‘Kailasa’ website with which cultural partnerships have been signed include Richmond, Virginia to Dayton, Ohio, to Buena Park, Florida literally all over the map.

Fox News It said that it reached out to some of the cities in the US for a reaction on signing an agreement with the fake nation.

“And so far most of the cities have confirmed these proclamations are in fact true,” the report said.

The sister-city agreement between Newark and the fake “United States of Kailasa” was inked on January 12 this year and the signing ceremony took place at City Hall in Newark.

Jacksonville, North Carolina told Fox News: “Our proclamations with Kailasa are not an endorsement. They are a response to a request and we do not verify the information that is requested.” Fox News blamed the cities for not “googling” for information about the fake nation.

“If someone wants a proclamation, someone gets a proclamation. They’ll just say you’re an exotic Hindu Island and they’ll name a street after you,” the Fox News anchor said.

However, the city of Newark in the US state of New Jersey said it rescinded a “sister-city” agreement with the fictional country after finding out that it was a hoax.

The Fox News report quoted a Newark resident to say that the sister-city agreement with a fake nation was an embarrassing episode for the city.

“I think that’s embarrassing that he didn’t do his background research before entertaining them.”

The report also said that it’s not just mayors or city councils but ”people running the federal government” who are falling for the fake nation too.

It added that according to the fake guru, two members of the Congress have given Kailasa “special congressional recognition.” One of them is Congresswoman Norma Torres of California, who is on the House Appropriations Committee.

“So, the person who decides what we spend our tax dollars on just got duped by an alleged rapist guru with a fake country,” the Fox News anchor said.

Nithyananda is wanted in India on several charges of rape and sexual assault.

The Kailasa website falsely claims it has “two billion practising Hindus” among its population.