Daily takes aim at guru who claims to have doctorate degree
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KUALA LUMPUR: A local Tamil daily, Tamil Malar, has gone on the offensive against “Datuk Seri Guruji” who is said to be a master who teaches his followers how to harness spiritual energy.
In a series of reports since Saturday, it said the 60-year-old V. Balakrishnan, the founder of Rajayoga Power Transcendental Mediation Centre Sdn Bhd or better known as RPT, had claimed to have obtained a doctorate in Para Psychology from the Mississippi University from 1995 to 1996.
However, the newspaper claimed to have conducted checks in the United States and claimed that state university of Mississippi had a similar course, but it was not possible for one with the Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE) to pursue a doctorate.
It has given Balakrishnan two days to answer whether he had truly obtained the doctorate degree.
The newspaper claimed it would run a story on a woman who had to go to jail for 18 months because of the guru.
The guru has a huge following in the country and in neighbouring countries and thousands attend his birthday celebrations in April every year.
In December, the newspaper published negative reports about Balakrishnan, but several people claiming to be his followers created a ruckus in the newspaper office in Jalan Ipoh.
Tamil Malar managing director S. M. Periasamy lodged a report, saying the followers wanted the newspaper to apologise for their reports.
“They spoke rudely to my staff, hurling derogatory words against us,” Periasamy said.
However, RPT denied the allegations and said they had initiated legal action against the newspaper for defamation.
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