Hyderabad, Jan 27 (IANS): TRS leaders were arrested here Sunday for defying police ban to stage a protest demanding separate statehood to 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.

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.

Meanwhile, dozens of students were also arrested when they tried to march towards Raj Bhavan to lay siege.

Police stopped the students at Khairatabad crossroads as they were heading towards the official residence of the governor.