Telangana leaders from Telugu Desam, TRS and BJP were taken into custody by the police today as they proceeded to take part in the 'million march to Hyderabad' protest

Police have denied permission to the march, slated to take place from 1 pm to 4 pm.

The TRS MLAs were taken into custody soon after they started marching toward the Tank Bund at Hussain Sagar lake here, the venue of the protest.

"This government cannot suppress the Telangana agitation by arrests. The people are only expressing their democratic wish," TRS MLA T Harish Rao told reporters when he and his colleagues were being taken into custody.

TDP MLAs E Dayakar Rao, senior BJP leader Ch Vidyasagara Rao and others were taken into custody near Basheerbagh.

The Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC) Convener M Kodandaram was detained as he was coming out of the JAC office.

"Police have been behaving in a very undemocratic way. They have arrested hundreds of people in entire Telangana," Kodandaram told PTI.

Even policemen in plain-clothes were arresting people, and the vehicles of the MLAs were being checked, he claimed.

TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao demanded the immediate release of Kodandaram, the MLAs and other Telangana supporters.

Scores of Telangana supporters still reached the Tank Bund, the venue for the 'march', and shouted slogans in support of the separate statehood and against the Congress government.

Related report:

Cong MPs face Telangana supporters' ire

Congress MPs K Keshav Rao and Madhu Yashki Goud had to face the ire of Telangana supporters near Tank Bund where they had come to take part in the 'million march to Hyderabad' here today.

Shouting slogans, some Telangana supporters threw things like water bottles and chappals at Keshav Rao and Yashki, and the two had to leave the place.

Responding to the incident, Madhu Yashki Goud said a wrong impression has been created in the minds of Telangana supporters that separate state would be realised if the Telangana leaders quit their posts and triggered a Constitutional crisis.

The attack on them was the result of such a wrong impression, he said.

"TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao has quit his post several times. Did Telangana come with that? We need to be in Parliament to fight for separate state and to ensure that a bill is passed for formation of separate Telangana," he said.

Earlier report:

'Million march' for Telangana paralyses Hyderabad

Normal life was thrown out of gear here today in view of massive traffic and security restrictions imposed by police ahead of the 'Million March to Hyderabad' called by pro-Telangana groups seeking introduction of a Bill on separate state in the ongoing Parliament session.

Traffic restrictions came into force from morning hours and office-goers had a tough time reaching their destinations.

The million march aimed at sending across a message to the centre on formation of Telangana is supposed to be held from 1 pm to 4pm at Tankbund at the Hussainsagar lake in the heart of the city.

Police which has denied permission to the march citing that this programme may affect normal life and might even lead to law and order problems, have already imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC in Hyderabad and Cyberabad Police Commissionerate limits banning any kind of assembly of persons, rallies and processions.

Heavy security arrangements were made in different parts of Hyderabad with deployment of hundreds of security personnel drawn from the state police and central paramilitary forces.

However, police, which has barricaded surrounding routes with barbed wires towards the Tank Bund area here ahead of the march came under severe criticism from public, particularly office-goers, who complained that though they started their journey hours before to reach their destinations, they were still being prevented at many roads. Police had yesterday asked office-goers to carry identity cards.

Traffic restrictions resulted in heavy traffic jams at several locations including near RTC Cross Roads, Kachiguda, Malakpet, Koti, parts of Old City, Basheerbagh among other areas.

As police did not allow traffic towards Lakadi-ka-Pul and Assembly, motorists also indulged in heated arguments with police personnel and sought to know why the police had restricted vehicular movement right since morning when the 'Million March' programme was scheduled for afternoon.

With Intermediate, ICSE and CBSE exams on, police had advised parents and students to plan their routes and start early to reach exam centres. "Under these tense circumstances, what and how the students will write exams," asked a parent.

Meanwhile, police have started making preventive arrests in different Telangana districts preventing pro-Telangana activists from reaching Hyderabad. A police officer monitoring buses and trains in Warangal district said "There is no permission for the march. We are also keeping a watch on the movement of anti-social elements as they may mix up with the protesters to create law and order problem."

Hyderabad Police commissioner A K Khan said preventive arrests were being made only against those who were violating the ban orders.

Telangana political JAC convener M Kodanda Ram alleged that the police infringed on the freedom of the movement of the people.

As part of the march the JAC asked the people to take a pledge at 4 pm to work for the formation of Telangana state.

Telangana leaders in all parties and various peoples organisations has announced support for the event.