Police fired teargas shells on the campus of Osmania University in Hyderabad Sunday to stop pro-Telangana students from taking out a rally, an official said.
TRS leaders were arrested for defying police ban to stage a protest demanding separate statehood Telangana.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) legislator K Tarakarama Rao and his supporters were arrested near the office of Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) as they were gathering there to proceed towards Indira Park, the venue of 36-hour protest.
Tension prevailed on the campus as the police and paramilitary forces swung into action to disperse students pelting stones at them.
Student leaders alleged that a few students were injured in police baton charge.
Police sealed all the gates of the campus to prevent students from coming out.
Osmania University students Joint Action Committee has called for siege to Raj Bhavan to press the demand for statehood to Telangana and also to seek resignation of Governor ESL Narasimhan for his reported opposition to separate Telangana state demand.
Police stopped students who were trying to take out a bike rally to Raj Bhavan, 10km from the campus. There was heated argument between student leaders and police officers.
Another group of students was arrested near Raj Bhavan. They had gathered at Khairatabad crossroads and were heading towards the official residence of the governor when police took them into custody.
Osmania University has witnessed many violent demonstrations for separate state during last three years.
Tarakarama Rao, son of TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, and others were bodily lifted into the waiting police vehicles.
The TRS leader termed the police action "undemocratic and repressive".
TRS politburo member Swami Goud was also arrested when he reached Gun Park near state assembly along with his supporters. They were planning to take out a rally to Indira Park.
Several leaders of JAC were taken into custody by the police in different parts of the city.
TRS legislators launched a protest at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the assembly premises when the police stopped them from marching to the protest venue.
Party leader E Rajender alleged that police arrested thousands of Telangana activists across the region to foil the protest. He accused the government of bias.
"The government is allowing meetings in Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra) but suppressing even peaceful protest in Telangana," he said.
The police also took into custody women protestors reaching Indira Park.
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