Even as the head of Madurai Adheenam, Arunagirinatha Gnanasambanda Desika Paramacharya, defended his decision to appoint Nityananda as his successor, the latter has threatened to sue the heads of other mutts who have opposed his induction in the oldest Hindu mutt.
“I was denied an opportunity to clarify my view point on the issue, though I approached the heads of those mutts. They have now dragged me into the controversy, forcing me to defend myself in the court of law,” Nityananda told reporters, along with the head of the Mutt here on Wednesday.
Heads of several Saivite Mutts, who met at Dharmapuram on Tuesday, wanted the Madurai Adheenam to remove Nitayananda from the post as the appointment was against customs and tradition, failing which they would seek legal course on the issue.
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Nithayanda clarified that he very much belonged to the Saiva Vellala community making him eligible to become the head of Madurai Adheenam. Three elderly persons, said to be relatives of Nitayananda, supported his claim.
On the contention that a criminal case was pending against him, Nityananda said that the rape case filed against him was strange and unique, as no one had been cited as the victim of the crime. “There are many cases against people in public life and this case against me has no basis,” he said. He claimed that he was ready to resign the new post of spiritual leader, if his clarification was not acceptable to the heads of other mutts.
Stating that the heads of mutts had defamed him, he warned them to take back the words uttered against him within 10 days to avoid being sued for defamation.
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“My followers from all the centres will file the cases, for conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups and for outraging religious feelings against all those who had signed the resolution passed against me,” he said.
Stating that his followers would begin an indefinite fast in front of the Dharmapuram Adheenam, he said that they would sign with their blood a memorandum seeking the State Government's permission for filing case against the heads of the mutts under Section 295A of Indian Penal Code (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings).
“The heads of mutts have been instigated by vested interests who had encroached upon the property of Madurai Adheenam,” he alleged.
Arunagirinatha Gnanasambanda Desika Paramacharya said Nityananda's appointment as his successor was purely an internal issue of the Adheenam and he need not consult the heads of any other mutt.