Swami Ramdev, India’s most famous and powerful yoga guru began a fast to the death in support of anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare, on Saturday, in New Delhi.
Swami Ramdev demands reforms which includes the death penalty for corrupt officials in an anti-graft campaign that has undermined an embattled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Swami Ramdev, who host's a television show with 30 million viewers and own's a peace island in Scotland, sat with thousands of followers in a tent of the size of four football pitches in Delhi.
The guru’s followers as far away as the state of Orissa and the city of Mumbai also began hunger strikes including hundreds of Indians.
Yoga guru fasts in support of social activist Anna Hazare, whose campaign rang a chord with millions of Indians and forced the government to make legislative concessions on an anti-corruption bill.
Most critics expect that some deal will be forged that will help the yoga guru to launch his own political party for 2014 elections.
The Hindu newspaper reported that his fast had been planned for months.
India has remained unaffected by the violent protests that has rocked Middle East and North Africa.
According to the Transparency International's latest corruption index, India has been ranked 78th, a worse ranking than China.
India's yoga guru Swami Ramdev (L) speaks with social activist Swami Agnivesh as Anna Hazare (C) listens during a "fast unto death" campaign in New Delhi April 8, 2011. A veteran Indian social activist whose hunger strike against corruption is drawing growing support rejected on Friday an offer of talks saying the government was ignoring the wishes of the people. Thousands of Indians held demonstrations across the country for another day on Friday in support of Hazare, who is demanding a tough anti-corruption law.REUTERSSupporters of India's yoga guru Swami Ramdev carry his portrait before raising it in the Ramlila grounds where he is scheduled to start his fast in New Delhi June 2, 2011. The government suffered a fresh blow on Thursday in containing growing anger over corruption from million of voters as leading civil activist Anna Hazare joined forces with influential yoga guru Ramdev in a "fast-until-death" against graft.REUTERSIndia's yoga guru Swami Ramdev (front, 3rd L) offers prayers at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat in New Delhi June 3, 2011. The government suffered a fresh blow on Thursday in containing growing anger over corruption from million of voters as leading civil activist Anna Hazare joined forces with influential yoga guru Swami Ramdev in a "fast-until-death" against graft.REUTERSA supporter of India's yoga guru Swami Ramdev lies reading a book at the Ramlila grounds where Ramdev was scheduled to start his fast in New Delhi June 3, 2011. The government suffered a fresh blow on Thursday in containing growing anger over corruption from million of voters as leading civil activist Anna Hazare joined forces with influential yoga guru Swami Ramdev in a "fast-until-death" against the graft.REUTERSIndia's yoga guru Swami Ramdev speaks at a news conference in New Delhi June 1, 2011.ReutersIndia's yoga guru Swami Ramdev speaks during a news conference in Gurgaon, in the northern Indian state of Haryana, June 2, 2011. India's government suffered a fresh blow on Thursday in containing growing anger over corruption from million of voters as a leading civil activist joined forces with an influential yoga guru in a "fast-until-death" against graft. The saffron-robed Swami Ramdev, India's most famous yoga guru, has pledged a hunger strike from Saturday to protest against corruption in Asia's third-largest economy and called on his legions of followers to join him.REUTERSIndia's yoga guru Swami Ramdev (C) addresses his supporters at the Ramlila grounds where he was scheduled to start his fast in New Delhi June 3, 2011. The government suffered a fresh blow on Thursday in containing growing anger over corruption from million of voters as leading civil activist Anna Hazare joined forces with influential yoga guru Swami Ramdev in a "fast-until-death" against the graft.REUTERS
