Mr. Speaker's guru is out of order

The Sunday Express (London)/March 13, 1988
By Lady Olga Maitland

Speaker of the British House of Commons Bernard Weatherill is reportedly incensed at having learned that the Indian guru Sri Chinmoy has been using his name for publicity purposes.

Last summer, Mr. Weatherill and two colleagues played host to Sri Chinmoy at the Speaker's House in the Palace of Westminster. After spending an hour in meditation with parliamentarians, the guru asked if the speaker would pose for a picture. Mr. Weatherill was subsequently featured prominently in publicity publications put out by Sri Chinmoy.

"I must admit I did see Sri Chinmoy," Weatherill told the Sunday Express. "He sold himself to us on the basis of his United Nations credentials." However, the guru holds no official status at the U.N., and that organization is trying to disengage itself from him.

"I'm very distressed to hear this. He has no right to use our names," Weatherill said. "I do remember that when he came here he did have a photographer. I said, "What are you going to do with the pictures? This is not for publication. You are here on simply a courtesy visit."

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