A popular yoga guru and thousands of his supporters were detained by police Monday as they tried to march to India's Parliament to intensify an anti-corruption protest and press for a change of government.

As he was led away by police, Baba Ramdev shouted slogans urging his supporters to fight to end India's endemic corruption and seek the repatriation of billions of dollars in illegal money he says Indians have stashed in foreign banks.

Waving Indian flags and shouting slogans, the protesters climbed into a row of police buses parked around the sprawling New Delhi fairground that Ramdev and his supporters had occupied for the past four days. Police said the protesters would be taken to a stadium on the outskirts of the city and would likely be released by Monday evening.

Before the march, the bearded, saffron-clad yogi urged his supporters to throw out the ruling Congress Party and bring in a "clean" government.

"Throw out the Congress; save the country," he shouted as his followers applauded and cheered wildly.

Ramdev, who had not eaten for the past four days, had set a Sunday evening deadline for a response from the government to his protest, but received none.

"The government has become completely deaf. We have to make them hear us. Now our protest will move from here to the doorstep of the Parliament," Ramdev said.

AP

Ramdev told his supporters to be prepared to go to jail during their march since police would try to stop them from holding a rally near Parliament. He urged his followers to remain peaceful and not resort to violence as police removed them from Ramlila Ground.

Ramdev has been demanding a robust ombudsman law to keep checks on government, a strong and independent Central Bureau of Investigation and efforts to act against tax evasion and illegal money sent to banks abroad.

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Indian Yoga Guru Detained After Anti-Graft Protest