Indian yoga guru detained at Heathrow

Spiritual leader Swami Ramdevji was due to lead a 1,500 yoga class in Glasgow on Monday night but has been stopped from entering the country.

Supporter say Ramdevji, 47, was stopped at Heathrow airport last night and detained for eight hours.

Ramdevji, who is also known as Baba Ramdev and reportedly has an 85 million strong worldwide following, was given a 24-hour visa and instructed to return to Terminal Five this afternoon, when his supporters fear he will be thrown out of the country.

The organisers of his visit said they have contacted Hindu temples throughout the UK asking for supporters to protest at the airport against the move.

A trust run by Ramdevji, who has his own television channel in India, bought the island of Little Cumbrae just off the coast of Largs in south west Scotland and established it as a yoga centre two years ago.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We would not comment on individual cases."

Media reports in India said Ramdevji was detained because he arrived at Heathrow on a visitor's visa instead of a business visa.

His spokesman SK Tejarawala was reported as saying: "It was not clear why the yoga guru was detained for over six hours at Heathrow. He was not carrying anything with him except a small bag of personal effects.

"It is for the British authorities to explain why he was detained."