Baba Ramdev courts arrest, says 'we respect law' (Update: Ramdev)

New Delhi, Aug 13 (ANI): Delhi Police took yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters into preventive custody at the Ranjit Singh flyover here on Monday afternoon during the march to the Parliament.

Baba Ramdev has, however, emphasized that his supporters would not resort to violence.

"We had decided that we would make the government hear our voices by a hunger strike. We were marching peacefully, now the police has stopped us. We respect the law," said Baba Ramdev before being arrested.

"The Delhi Police has to listen to the government, they are puppets. Congress' hand is not with us; these cops now say they will take me away," he added.

Baba Ramdev, who is in his trademark red robes and a black band of protest on his forehead, was earlier denied permission for the march by the Delhi Police.

There is high security along the route that the yoga guru and his supporters are taking. The police personnel are now taking Baba Ramdev and the others to a stadium in Bawana that will double up as a makeshift jail.

Baba Ramdev, who secured the support of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and brought them on his platform at the Ramlila Maidan here today, earlier in the day declared that he would take his ongoing protest on black money and corruption to Parliament and vowed to oust Congress in the next Lok Sabha polls.

"The government has become completely deaf. We have to make them hear us. Now, our protest will be outside Parliament. We are not talking about 'gherao'," said Baba Ramdev.

Baba Ramdev said that the aim of his protest is to ensure that no ' dishonest person enters Parliament ' following the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. In his mission he is having the support of the National Democratic Alliance parties who have now come out in support, but Baba Ramdev himself denies having any 'political agenda'.

Baba Ramdev's last outing at the Ramlila Maidan, in June last year, saw a midnight police crackdown with authorities claiming that he violated norms agreed upon. He was caught by police, while trying to flee from the protesting venue in a woman's attire. (ANI)