Shantigiri Ashram General Secretary Swami Guru Ratnam Jnana Tapaswi said that the Shanthigiri Ashram is not a place for the accused to hide in case of any serious cases. He was speaking to media after the arrival of customs officials at the Shanthigiri Ashram. Officials came to the ashram to find out the fake propaganda about the gold smuggling case and Swapna Suresh seeking Ayurvedic treatment at the ashram. After investigating the matter, the officials went and within hours the cyber attack was carried out against the ashram.
This is not an isolated incident. In some cases in the past, similar propaganda has been carried out against the Ashram through online media. Swamy said he had lodged a complaint with the state police chief demanding an investigation into the ongoing bogus propaganda. He also said that he attended the Iftar banquet of the United Arab Emirates with the Chief Minister of India and other dignities of political and cultural affiliations only after getting official invitation. The complaint alleges that some were deliberately trying to discredit the ashram and the monks in public by using its footage to misrepresent the original news.