’We meet many godmen’: Shivakumar clarifies on photo with Nithyananda

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Nov 22, 2019 : Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Nithyananda, who has been booked in a criminal case related to his ashram in Ahmedabad, a photo of senior Karnataka Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar with the self-styled godman was widely circulated on social media, with questions being raised on his alleged visit to the ashram, The Week reported.

 

Shivakumar admitted that he had met Nityananda a year ago. “I think I have met him more than a year ago for a few minutes when I went to his ashram during elections... We meet many godmen. They are also a part of our constituency,” the Congress leader told news agency ANI.

He further said: “I keep on meeting them, but I don’t know about their personal issues. Today only I saw in some papers that he is not available.”

Gujarat officials on Thursday said Nithyananda had fled the country even as the state police is working to gather concrete evidence against him after taking two of his disciples in remand.

An FIR was registered on Wednesday against the controversial guru on the charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram—Yogini Sarvagyapeetham.

Ahmedabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police R.V. Asari said Nithyananda had fled abroad, and if required, the Gujarat police would seek his custody through proper channel.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it did not have any formal information on whether Nithyananda has flown out of India.