Baba Ramdev India anti-corruption march halted by police

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Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev addresses the media and his supporters after his arrest in New Delhi on August 13, 2012
Image caption,
Baba Ramdev is one of India's most prominent anti-corruption campaigners

Police in the Indian capital Delhi have stopped prominent anti-corruption campaigner Baba Ramdev from marching to parliament to stage a protest.

Baba Ramdev and his supporters have been detained for allegedly "violating prohibitory laws".

Known as the yoga guru, Baba Ramdev says he is campaigning for the recovery of bribe money allegedly held overseas.

He is also demanding stronger anti-corruption laws. He has millions of supporters across India.

His daily TV programme is watched by people across the country.

Last June he held a nine-day anti-corruption hunger strike before the police evicted him from Delhi.

His latest protest - attended by several thousand people - was held at the Ramlila ground in Delhi, the venue of his protest last year.

'Peaceful'

Baba Ramdev told his supporters on Monday that they should march to parliament and hold a "peaceful" protest there.

"Throw out the Congress [the governing party] and save the country," he said, before beginning his march.

But police stopped him and his supporters near a flyover in the city and detained them.

On Sunday, Baba Ramdev said he would "intensify the protest across the country in the form of a people's revolt".

He asked his supporters to be ready to court arrest, but urged them to be peaceful.

In June, the yoga guru joined leading campaigner Anna Hazare to undertake a day-long fast in protest against corruption.