J&K MLA detained for taking out march to protest PM's visit

Independent MLA from Jammu and Kashmir's Langate constituency Sheikh Abdul Rasheed was detained today for taking out a protest march against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state, police said.

Rasheed along with the supporters of his party Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) took out the protest march from his official residence in Jawahar Nagar, a police official said.

The officer said that a police contingent, deployed at Rajbagh, asked the protesters to disperse, but they did not budge and tried to march towards SKICC where the prime minister was attending a function.

Several protestors, including Rasheed, were detained, he said, adding that the legislator was taken to the Rajbagh police station.

He claimed that Rasheed was carrying a black flag and a balloon as a mark of protest against the prime minister's visit.

On Thursday, Rasheed had said that his party would show black flags to Modi during his visit to the Valley.

"The AIP will receive Modi with black flags to make the global community realise that India is not serious and sincere in resolving the Kashmir issue and also as a protest against police atrocities in the Valley," Rasheed had told reporters here.