London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 03, 2026

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over 30 American cities, a media report has said, days after the city of Newark in the US state of New Jersey said it rescinded a "sister-city" agreement with the fictional country.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

0:00
0:00
Close
Eleven British Seafarers Receive Merchant Navy Medal
Which? Creates Fake 10 Downing Street Rental Listing to Expose Booking.com Vetting Weaknesses
BP Appoints New Chairman in Effort to Stabilise Leadership
Aberdeen Sells Hydrogen Bus Fleet at Heavy Loss After Green Transport Experiment
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record as Climate Change Intensifies Extreme Heat
Scotland Pledges to End Temporary Accommodation for Children and Build 111,000 Affordable Homes
DNO Agrees $396 Million Deal to Acquire Capricorn Energy
Uber and Wayve Launch UK’s First Supervised Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service in London
Britain Expected to Avoid New US Tariffs Targeting European Union
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Energy Costs Higher and Revives Inflation Concerns
UK Growth Forecast Cut to 1% Through 2027 as Youth Unemployment Is Projected to Rise
Andy Burnham Links Weak UK Growth to Brexit in First Full Commons Session as Prime Minister
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP, Triggering Holborn and St Pancras By-Election
UK Business Confidence Improves but Remains Deeply Negative
Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Sale Recovers Just Six Pence for Every Pound Invested
Which? Exposes Booking.com Verification Failures With Fake 10 Downing Street Listing
British Business Bank Invests Up to £46 Million in Deep-Tech Startup Fund
Scottish Government Puts Violence Against Women at Center of Legislative Program
FCA Eases UK IPO Rules to Strengthen London’s Listing Market
UK Likely to Avoid Next US Tariff Measures as Washington Targets EU
Macron Visits UK for Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition and Border Security Talks
British Chambers of Commerce Cuts UK Growth Outlook to 1% for 2026 and 2027
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, Triggering By-Election
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Unveils Devolution and Cost-of-Living Agenda
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as 30-Year Gilt Yield Reaches 5.88%
Cleveland Police Receive £2 Million to Tackle Serious Crime in Middlesbrough
Number of Young People in England Without a Close Friend Reaches Record Level
Five Arrested After Newborn Baby Dies From Stab Wounds in Sheffield
Nigel Farage Faces Questions Over Reported Second Parliamentary Standards Investigation
UK Retirement Funding Requirement Rises by £64,000 Compared With 2021
UK House Prices Rise for First Time Since April, Nationwide Says
FCA Chief Faces Allegations of Intimidating Consumer Group Over £9 Billion Car Loan Inquiry
Scottish Government Presses Ahead With Cap on Essential Food Prices
Burnham Government Moves to Overhaul Early Prison Release Scheme
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record in 2026, Met Office Says
UK Government Announces Major Reset of Diplomatic Policy Towards Israel
UK Pushes Back After Trump Reopens Falkland Islands Sovereignty Dispute
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP, Triggering Holborn and St Pancras By-Election
Andy Burnham Blames Brexit for UK’s Decade of Weak Growth in First Commons Address
England Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Sewage Discharges and Water Quality
Victoria Beckham Business Reports First Operating Profit Since Launch
BT Expects £2 Billion From Copper Sales During Full-Fibre Rollout
UK Train Drivers Secure 3.6% Pay Rise and Avert Strike Action
FCA Chief Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Pressure on Consumer Group in Car Finance Case
Kemi Badenoch Names Andrew Griffith Shadow Chancellor in Conservative Reshuffle
UK House Prices Rise for First Time Since April
UK Shop-Price Inflation Accelerates to 1.5% in August
Met Office Data Point to Hottest UK Summer on Record
UK Announces Emergency Prison Release Measures and £110 Million Capacity Expansion
UK Launches Expanded Free School Meals and 1,400 Breakfast Clubs
×