Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi was on Saturday detained at Basavakalyan town, about 80 km from Bidar, for allegedly violating the model code of conduct enforced in connection with the urban local bodies polls, police said.

The controversial leader was, however, later released, police said.

Owaisi was to campaign for his party candidates, contesting the March seven urban local bodies polls in Karnataka.

Karnataka High Court had yesterday stayed for three weeks proceedings against Owaisi in a lower court at Bangalore in connection with a complaint filed against him for his alleged hate speech at a public meeting in Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh.

Owaisi, who has earlier been booked by Andhra Pradesh police on charges of sedition among others, was arrested in January. He was released on bail on February 16.