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LUCKNOW, India, Sunday, (AFP) A hardline Hindu leader detained by police Saturday in a bid to ease tensions at a meeting of Hindu right-wingers in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya has been released, an official said.

Praveen Togadia, general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP, World Hindu Council) was picked up by police in Lucknow, capital of northern Uttar Pradesh state, soon after his arrival from New Delhi, the senior police official said.

"After having discussions with the administration we decided to allow VHP leader, Praveen Togadia to leave for Ayodhya," said Rajeev Ranjan Verma, senior superintendent of police, without explaining further.

Earlier, Verma said Togadia was detained because authorities were concerned that his presence in the Hindu pilgrim town, the scene of an ongoing battle over the site of a razed mosque, could ratchet up tensions.

The right-wing nationalist VHP, which is campaigning for the construction of a temple on the ruins of the 16th century Babri mosque, is to hold a meeting of its supporters in Ayodhya later Saturday.

After his release, Togadia demanded that the government not only handover the disputed land in Ayodhya for building a temple, but two other sites as well in the northern Indian towns of Kashi and Mathura.

"It is high time that the three temples are handed to us or else we will ask for 30,000 temples. The main problem is because of the Muslims," he added.

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