Ahmedabad: About 1,000 VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) activists today (Dec 5, 2004) embarked on a 'jail bharo' agitation and took out rallies across Gujarat protesting the arrest of Kanchi Seer Shankaracharya in a murder case.

However, the activists were released later, police said in Ahmedabad.

The VHP activists took out protest rallies in Ahmedabad and at Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Rajkot and Bhuj districts and over 1,000 persons were detained, police said.

Meanwhile, a VHP release said apart from the city, activists and holy men came out on the streets to protest 'inhuman' treatment meted out to the religious leader by police and 'interference' of the Government in religious affairs.

VHP also claimed that the number of activists detained exceeded 8,000.

The VHP also demands immediate release of Shankaracharya, who was arrested last month, the release added.