News / Asia

Indian Yoga Guru Arrested After Anti-Corruption Protest

An Indian senior policeman detains yoga guru Baba Ramdev, right, during an anti-corruption protest in New Delhi, India, August 13, 2012.
An Indian senior policeman detains yoga guru Baba Ramdev, right, during an anti-corruption protest in New Delhi, India, August 13, 2012.
TEXT SIZE - +
VOA News
Police in India have arrested a popular yoga guru after he tried to lead an anti-corruption protest to parliament.

Baba Ramdev was peacefully led away by police on Monday, as he shouted slogans calling for the removal of the Congress-Party led government.

The yoga guru began his protest on Thursday, calling for the government to do more to fight graft and seek the repatriation of illegal money he says Indians have stashed in overseas banks.

Ramdev led a similar hunger strike in June of last year, but unlike that protest -- his recent campaign has not generated a government response.

The guru is loosely aligned with the anti-corruption movement of activist Anna Hazare, who earlier this month ended a six-day hunger strike with supporters vowing to form a political movement to spur change.

Ramdev attracts millions of viewers on his daily television show, where he demonstrates yoga exercises.

In anticipation of Monday's protest march, authorities deployed extra security around the route in New Delhi.

Members of India's opposition parties also joined Ramdev for the anti-corruption rally and many supporters were arrested alongside the yoga guru.  They were expected to be held temporarily.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government was hit by a number of high-profile corruption scandals in 2010, including the sale of mobile phone licenses at below market prices, which is said to have cost the government up to $40 billion.

You May Like

Karzai to Discuss Enhancing Defense Ties with India

Afghanistan looking for more military aid as it prepares for withdrawal of NATO forces by next year More

India, China Pledge to Overcome Border Tensions

Indian prime minister and Chinese premier attempt to move past tense standoff in the Himalayas during Delhi talks More

Burmese President Opens US Visit with VOA Town Hall Meeting

Ahead of his meeting with President Obama Monday, Thein Sein answered questions on human rights and economic development in his country More

This forum has been closed.
Comments
     
There are no comments in this forum. Be first and add one

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video Valley Fever Raises Concerns in California, Arizona

A longstanding health problem in California's Central Valley has worsened in recent years, leading health officials to order the relocation of 3,000 prisoners from two state prisons. But the disease affects much of the population in some rural communities and, Mike O'Sullivan reports, while it often goes unnoticed, it sometimes can be devastating for patients.