Bengaluru: Self proclaimed godman Nityananda on Thursday, February 18, courted another controversy by comparing the deaths of soldiers in warfield to committing suicide.

Delivering a sermon here, Nityananda said that in the spiritual arena, killing by the soldiers is considered murder and likewise, soldiers dying in wars is similar to committing suicide.

As his comments were aired on TV channels, pro-Kannada organizations got onto the streets and demanded the ouster of Nityananda from the state.

Realizing this, he quickly made a U-turn and said that he has great respect for the soldiers and that the country is safe because of them.

It maybe recalled that a few years ago, Nityananda had hogged the limelight for his alleged sex scandal.