Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, Jul 27, 2024

Nithyananda's 'Kailasa' Cons 30 US Cities With "Sister City" Scam: Report

Nithyananda's 'Kailasa' Cons 30 US Cities With "Sister City" Scam: Report

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.
Self-proclaimed godman and fugitive Nithyananda's "United States of Kailasa" has signed a "cultural partnership" with over 30 American cities, a media report has said, days after the city of Newark in the US state of New Jersey said it rescinded a "sister-city" agreement with the fictional country.

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.

Nityananda, whose mind-bending spiritual homilies wrapped in a sheen of pseudo-science has provided much mirth on social media, claims to have set up a country called the "United States of Kailasa" in 2019.

According to its website, there are over 30 American cities that have signed a cultural partnership with the fake nation of Kailasa --- cities from Richmond, Virginia to Dayton, Ohio, to Buena Park, Florida literally all over the map, according to a Fox news report on Thursday.

The report said that "we are finding out the supreme fake pontiff" has a "long list of cities he has duped.

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.

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.

The report added 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.

Republican Troy Balderson from Ohio also presented "his divine holiness and pontiff of Hinduism congressional recognition." Earlier this month, Press Secretary in the Department of Communications, City of Newark, Susan Garofalo had told PTI in an email that as soon as "we learned about the circumstances surrounding Kailasa, the City of Newark immediately took action and rescinded the sister city agreement" on January 18.

"Based on deception, the ceremony was groundless and void...Although this was a regrettable incident, the City of Newark remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect," Garofalo said.

Newark Councilman at Large Luis Quintana sponsored the motion to rescind the agreement.

He said during official proceedings that going forward any city entering into a sister city agreement "must be in good standards of human rights.

"We cannot bring Sister Cities International into an issue where there is controversy. This is an oversight, cannot happen any longer," he said, adding that Newark cannot put itself in a situation where there is a sister city that has no human rights.

He had said going forward, it must be ensured that while sister cities are encouraged, agreements cannot be entered into with "governments that don't have human rights."

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."

Last month, USK representatives attended two UN public meetings in Geneva - a general discussion on 'Equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems' organised by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on February 22, and the general discussion on the General Comment on economic, social cultural rights and sustainable development on February 24, hosted by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).

Responding to questions on the United States of Kailasa's participation at the UN forums, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) had said registration for such public events is open to NGOs and the general public.

"Anyone can submit information to the treaty bodies, who will use their judgment to determine the credibility of the submissions received."

"On the day of the CEDAW general discussion, USK members were prevented from distributing promotional material in front of and inside the conference room. Their written submission to CEDAW will not be published by the Committee as it is irrelevant to the topic of the general discussion," OHCHR had said.

Nithyananda is wanted in India on several charges of rape and sexual assault - allegations he denies.

The Kailasa website counts "two billion practising Hindus" among its population.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kamala Harris Pledges Action on Gaza Crisis after Netanyahu Meeting
Heatwave in Morocco Claims 21 Lives in Beni Mellal
Israel Warns France of Iranian Threats at Paris Olympics
Hamas and Fatah Sign Unity Pact Amid Gaza Conflict
Netanyahu Urges Unity Between US and Israel in Congress Speech
Netanyahu Criticizes Anti-Israel Protesters in US
World's Hottest Day Recorded on July 21
Sri Lanka Apologizes for Forced Cremation of Muslim Covid Victims
Hacking Vulnerabilities: Androids vs. iPhones
Israel Conducts First Direct Air Raid on Yemen's Hodeidah Port
Joe Biden Withdraws from 2024 US Presidential Race
A Week of Turmoil: Key Moments in US Politics
US Criticizes International Court's Opinion on Israeli Occupation
Netanyahu Denounces World Court Ruling on Israeli Occupation
Adidas Drops Bella Hadid Over Controversy
UAE Court Sentences 43 to Life Imprisonment Over Terrorist Links
Spain PM Pedro Sanchez Denounces Double Standards on Gaza at NATO Summit
Biden Affirms Commitment To Presidential Race
2024 Predicted to Be World's Hottest Year
Iran's President-Elect Masoud Pezeshkian Reiterates Support for Hezbollah
Biden Insists on Continuing Presidential Race Amid Criticism
US Officials Resign Over Biden's Gaza Policy
Campaigners Push for Emergency Uplift Visa for Palestinians Escaping Gaza Conflict
Netanyahu Criticizes Release of Gaza Hospital Head
UK Government and British Airways Sued Over 1990 Kuwait Hostage Incident
Afghan Women's Rights Declared Internal Issue by Taliban
UK Appeals to ICC May Delay Arrest Warrants for Israeli Leaders
Iran's Presidential Election: A Close Race
Iran Threatens Retaliation if Israel Attacks Lebanon
EU Enforces Sanctions on Hamas Financiers
UN Agency Sued by Israelis Over Alleged Aid to Hamas
United States Bans Kaspersky Antivirus
White House Cancels US-Israel Meeting Amid Netanyahu's Accusations
Muslim Community Leader Criticizes Nigel Farage for Undermining Muslims
Hezbollah Chief Threatens All of Israel Amidst Escalating Conflict
Canada Lists Iran's Revolutionary Guards as Terrorist Group
Iran Sentences Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi to 1-Year Prison Term for Propaganda
Japan Considers Sanctions on UAE-Based Entities for Aiding Russia
Israel Rescues Four Hostages from Gaza
Iran Approves Six Candidates for Presidential Election After Raisi's Death
Israeli Commander Resigns After Hamas' October 7 Attack
Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz Resigns Over Gaza Strategy
UN to Add Israel to Human Rights Blacklist
Labour Party to Pledge Recognition of Palestinian State in Election Manifesto
Hamas Rejects Biden's Gaza Ceasefire Proposal as 'Just Words'
Hamas Has Not Responded To Latest Ceasefire Proposal: Qatar
State of Palestine Seeks to Join UN Court Case Accusing Israel of Genocide
Hezbollah Launches Drone Squadron Towards Israeli Military Targets
US-Built Pier in Gaza Faces Setbacks and Repairs
Norway, Ireland, and Spain Recognize Palestinian State
×