Church leaders in the Indian state of Karnataka say they had nothing to do with uncovering sex scandals involving a Hindu seer after a hardliner accused a "Christian lobby" of the expose.

“It is false and malicious propaganda,” Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore, who heads the Catholic Church in Karnataka, told ucanews.com on June 15.

Pramod Muthalik, head of the hardline Sri Rama Sene (army of Lord Rama) Hindu group, had earlier told the media that Nithyananda’s escapades had been publicised by Christian missioners.

The Hindu seer, aged 33, founded the Life Bliss Foundation and Dhyanapeetham (throne of meditation) located outside Bangalore.

He was arrested after sting operations by television stations exposed sex scandals in his ashram. The Hindu religious leader was also accused of criminal intimidation, financial irregularities and cheating.

The Karnataka High Court on June 13 released Nithyananda on bail on condition that he did not continue religious preaching.

The same day Muthalik visited Nithyananda at his ashram and later told the media that Christian missioners conspired to malign the Hindu spiritual leader.

Archbishop Moras said the allegation as provocative, insinuating and derogatory. “Such baseless allegations against the Christian community are intended to create communal disharmony and distrust,” he said.

Muthalik has no credibility even among Hindus so people should not take his statements seriously, said Church of South India pastor Reverend Vincent Rajkumar, director of the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society.

Muthalik’s group has been accused of attacks against churches and Christian missioners in Karnataka. The group also attacked women in a bar in Mangalore last year.

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