Nityananda Breaks Silence, Denies Indulging in Sleazy Acts

Nityananda Breaks Silence, Denies Indulging in Sleazy Acts

Bangalore, Feb 1, (PTI) : Ending his long silence, self- styled godman Nityananda, facing charges of sexually abusing devotees, today refuted the allegations as baseless and a ''blackmailing tactic by powerful people'' to extort money from him. 
 
"Had no physical relationship with anyone. Not drunk a drop of alcohol nor smoked nor had non-vegetarian food all my life," the controversial swami told reporters here.

He claimed powerful people had used a "misrepresented video" to blackmail him "about which I have no evidence".

"I am being threatened and blackmailed by powerful people politically. They demanded at least Rs 100 crore from me, then reduced the price to Rs 60 crore. Different amounts were demanded at different times," he said.

Nityananda whose alleged sex romps were aired by a private regional TV channel with an actress claimed "the whole video is manipulated and morphed. I categorically deny that it is me who is there (in the clipping)".

The denial by Nityananda, against whom charges of rape and criminal intimidation have been framed by police, came days after actress Ranjitha made a similar statement.

Nityananda went missing after the alleged scandal involving him broke out and was arrested from Solan district in Himachal Pradesh on April 21 last year.

"I will give the whole story and all details to the court," he said.

Turning his ire on the CID wing which is investigating allegations of rape against him, Nityananda said, "I have revealed all this to Corps of Detectives. They have not done anything. Nothing happened. They just sympathised with me and told me to just relax," he said.

Asked to name the "powerful political persons" who were behind the slanderous campaign against him, Nithyananda said he could not do so as he faced a threat to his life.  "If I disclose their names who will give me protection?, he asked.

Nithyananda claimed that police had slapped rape cahrges against him without any complaint from a victim. "First they say Ranjitha is a victim, when they are unable to convince her, they move on to another and they go on".

"First time in Indian history, you have the accused and then you look for victims (who are none)", Nithyananda said in his globally televised press conference.

Nithyananda charged CID with "unlawfully, illegally arresting him without any victim, any substance and indulging in religious persecution." He alleged that the "persecution" had been going on since the "morphed, false video" was released on March 3, 2010 and three of his devotees in Tamil Nadu were locked inside a hut and were about to be burnt, but no action was taken by state police.

Nithynanda alleged that 22 compact discs seized by CID during their raids at his ashram in Bidadi, did not contain "porn material but were on yoga and meditation".

He said he would undertake a global signature campaign to drum up support for him and, if the "religious persecution" continued, also go on a padayatra from Kanyakumari to Bidadi in Ramanagaram district in Karnataka.