Several opposition leaders, including Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, on Saturday courted arrest after staging a demonstration against US attack on Iraq.

Police sources said the leaders were released soon afterwards.

Yadav later said, "The Vajpayee government was afraid of the US and therefore did not want to condemn the American attack against Iraq."

Demanding an immediate halt to the military conflict, he criticised the 'middle path approach' of the National Democratic Alliance government.

CPI-M Secretary D Raja said those who courted arrest also included Janata Dal(Secular)leader Romesh Bhandari, CPI(Marxist-Leninist) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and CPI-M's women wing leader Brinda Karat.