Protest over Swami Nithyananda's alleged sex video
CHENNAI/BANGALORE: A salacious tape containing alleged sexual acts of godman Nithyananda Paramahamsa, telecast by a Tamil TV channel repeatedly since Tuesday night, triggered violence across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, with disciples in his ashrams located in the two states being roughed up and his property damaged by the irate public.
The tape, aired by the channel, shows a man, similar in appearance to the young long-haired godman, in a few minutes of sexual romp allegedly with a Tamil actor. The incident also evoked a sharp response from Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi. When asked in Tiruchi about the alleged sexual excesses by the godmen, the CM said a meeting of a high-level committee comprising members of the state-run Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department and other top officials would be convened to discuss and decide on the course of action the government planned to take to curb the trend.
Nithyananda made a vain bid late in the evening to restrain the media from airing the tape, but a city civil court did not grant any stay, as sought by the godman, but merely ordered notices to some news organisations. In his petition, he claimed that the video footage was a fake and morphed one. He blamed an inmate of his ashram, Premananda alias Lenin Karuppan, for the morphing of his face with the idea of defaming him. The petition has been posted to March 8 for further hearing. The godman said he had 45 lakh devotees in 17 countries and was involved in social work and education besides spiritual activities.
In Chennai, a group of advocates lodged a complaint against the godman at the police commissionerate, seeking criminal action against him. Alleging that he had amassed wealth worth several crores of rupees, they demanded that the government confiscate his properties and freeze his accounts. In Coimbatore, the godman's posters were ripped off the street walls and staff in a yoga centre run by his devotees fled fearing an attack.
Reacting to the defamatory video, a statement from the Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam at Bidadi in Karnataka said: ‘‘A mix of conspiracy, graphics and rumour are at play in these recent events that have unfolded. We are working on a legal course of action and will come up with updates in due course.''
An uneasy calm prevailed around the 14-acre ashram at Dasanakoppalu, near Bidadi, in the suburbs of Bangalore. Police cordoned off the ashram premises to prevent the public from creating trouble.
The tape, aired by the channel, shows a man, similar in appearance to the young long-haired godman, in a few minutes of sexual romp allegedly with a Tamil actor. The incident also evoked a sharp response from Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi. When asked in Tiruchi about the alleged sexual excesses by the godmen, the CM said a meeting of a high-level committee comprising members of the state-run Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department and other top officials would be convened to discuss and decide on the course of action the government planned to take to curb the trend.
Nithyananda made a vain bid late in the evening to restrain the media from airing the tape, but a city civil court did not grant any stay, as sought by the godman, but merely ordered notices to some news organisations. In his petition, he claimed that the video footage was a fake and morphed one. He blamed an inmate of his ashram, Premananda alias Lenin Karuppan, for the morphing of his face with the idea of defaming him. The petition has been posted to March 8 for further hearing. The godman said he had 45 lakh devotees in 17 countries and was involved in social work and education besides spiritual activities.
In Chennai, a group of advocates lodged a complaint against the godman at the police commissionerate, seeking criminal action against him. Alleging that he had amassed wealth worth several crores of rupees, they demanded that the government confiscate his properties and freeze his accounts. In Coimbatore, the godman's posters were ripped off the street walls and staff in a yoga centre run by his devotees fled fearing an attack.
Reacting to the defamatory video, a statement from the Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam at Bidadi in Karnataka said: ‘‘A mix of conspiracy, graphics and rumour are at play in these recent events that have unfolded. We are working on a legal course of action and will come up with updates in due course.''
An uneasy calm prevailed around the 14-acre ashram at Dasanakoppalu, near Bidadi, in the suburbs of Bangalore. Police cordoned off the ashram premises to prevent the public from creating trouble.
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