Guru held after corruption protest halted

Police broke up a mass fast against corruption led by India's most famous yoga guru yesterday, risking more political headaches for the government.

A senior ruling Congress party figure said the saffron-robed Swami Ramdev had used the anti-corruption event to incite people.

Police detained the guru and flew him to the northern Indian centre of his $40 million-a-year global yoga and health empire.

The campaign by Mr Ramdev, who plans to launch a political party ahead of the 2014 general election, followed allegations of kickbacks at the Commonwealth Games and a telecoms scam that may have cost the government $39 billion.

The police action could spark protests by Mr Ramdev's millions of supporters and dent the government's popularity in electorally important northern states.

Mr Ramdev accused the police of brutality when they broke up the hunger strike which he and thousands of supporters started in New Delhi on Saturday in a marquee the size of four football pitches.