MLA detained for protesting against townships for Kashmiri Pandits

SRINAGAR: Police today detained independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid when he tried to take out a march to the civil secretariat here against the proposed plan of setting up a separate townships for Kashmiri Pandit migrants.

Rashid along with his supporters took out a protest march from Batamaloo towards the civil secretariat against the proposed plan.

As soon as the independent MLA from Langate reached the Fire and Emergency headquarters, the police took him into preventive custody and lodged him at police station Shaheedgunj.

Rashid was later taken to his residence in Jawahar Nagar by a police party.

While police officials said, the MLA has been released, Rashid alleged that he was not allowed to leave his home.

Before being detained, Rashid told reporters that he was not against the return of the Pandits but opposed the move to create separate colonies for them.

"We are against the separate townships. We welcome the Pandits, but they should settle at their native places," he said.