Srinagar, Feb. 1 -- Top leaders and several workers of the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) were detained as they tried to stage a sit-in at Srinagar in solidarity with Baramulla Lok Sabha MP and party chief Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, who began his hunger strike in Tihar jail on Friday. AIP members were demanding release of Engineer Rashid.

Engineer Rashid had announced an indefinite hunger strike alleging that he was being denied the right to represent his constituency in the Parliament as he hasn't got bail so far, his party informed.

AIP chief spokesperson Inam un Nabi said the protesters assembled at the Sangarmal Shopping Complex, where they had decided to hold the hunger strike after the district authorities rejected the...