Up to 1,000 detained in Indian protest crackdown

New Delhi: Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Tuesday that up to 1,000 people had been taken into custody in New Delhi, as police acted to halt a hunger strike by a veteran anti-graft activist.

"Two hundred to 1,000 people have been detained," Chidambaram told reporters, adding that "we are not prohibiting a peaceful democratic protest".

He said the detentions had been due to protesters not obeying police conditions over the demonstration led by hunger striker Anna Hazare, who was among those held by police.