US city Newark scraps deal with Nithyananda's 'Kailasa'

Self-proclaimed godman Nithyananda’s fictional country ‘Kailasa’ managed to strike a sister-city agreement with the US city of Newark and its photos were posted by him on his Facebook handle. However, the city has ended the pact terming the incident as "regrettable", according to the report.

On January 12 of this year, a sister-city agreement was established between Newark and a place called 'Kailasa'. The signing ceremony for this agreement occurred at Newark's City Hall.

Press secretary in the Department of Communications, City of Newark, Susan Garofalo told the media that the City of Newark immediately took action and rescinded the sister city agreement on January 18 agreement as soon as the authorities learned about the circumstances surrounding Kailasa.

"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 was quoted as saying in the report.

According to reports, Nithyananda is believed to have set up the fictional country on one of the islands near Ecuador, but its photos are very hard to find.

Earlier, Nithyananda's representative Vijayapriya tried to convince UN officials at a meeting about the so-called country and demanded protection for the self-styled godman, but officials dismissed the remarks.

The representatives from 'Kailasa' participated in a general discussion on the General Comment concerning economic, social, and cultural rights and sustainable development.

The discussion was hosted by the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on February 24.

Nithyananda’s 'Kailasa' derives its name from Mount Kailash in Tibet, which is considered a sacred site by Hindus. The place also has its own website which that was established as a haven for practicing, aspiring, or persecuted Hindus around the world.