Police briefly detained Indian opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani on Wednesday as he led a protest to seek the release of a firebrand party colleague arrested on charges of inciting a religious riot 10 years ago.
Police said Advani and 1,400 supporters of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were taken into preventive custody by police in the southern city of Bangalore, capital of Karnataka state, where Uma Bharti was arrested a week ago.
"He has been released. There are no charges," a senior police official later told Reuters.
Temporary detentions without charges to prevent violence or disruptions in sensitive situations are common in India.
Advani was deputy prime minister and interior minister in the Hindu nationalist-led coalition that was swept from power in May by the Congress party.
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