Live: Telangana march starts, police use force to disperse crowd

Hyderabad: 4.39 pm: Incidents of violence reported around Hussain Sagar lake area in Hyderabad. Police lathicharged, used tear gas and water canon to disperse unruly mob. A few media vans also reported to have been damaged by the protesters.

3.00 pm: Huge crowds present at protest venue. Security arrangements tight. Paramilitary forces on standby.

2.48 pm: Telangana leader P Govardhana Reddy slams the Andhra Pradesh government for halting trains from Telangana to Hyderabad. "The Chief Minister is acting completely prejudiced. They don't want the dharna to go ahead. No train is running to Hyderabad city. They are not allowing people to come from Telangana to Hyderabad. There is no democracy. It is unfortunate that the Congress government, which respects democracy, is not following its own path," he says.

1.56 pm: Security tightened around the Hussain Sagar Lake area in view of the protests.

1.00 pm: Police impose prohibitory orders and increase security in Hyderabad. Bus and train services from Telangana districts remain affected. Cinema halls remain shut in Hyderabad.

12.35 pm: Six Congress ministers and party leader Keshava Rao arrested by the police after they protested at the Chief Minister's office. The MPs and MLAs were protesting the arrest of the people at several districts preventing them from participating in the rally.

12.03 pm: Clashes reported between students of Osmania University and security personnel.

11.13 am: Minor stone pelting reported between students and security personnel at Osmania University.

11.00 am: Motorcycle rally begins at Osmania University. The police, however, say there is no permission for a motorcycle rally. Confrontation between the students and the police likely.

The Nizams' City - Hyderabad - is all set for a massive rally on Sunday in support of a separate state - Telangana. The Hussain Sagar lake will be focus of the rally which is expected to be attended by all parties. The Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) has promised a peaceful demonstration. The authorities, however, have not taken any chances and an unprecedented security cover envelops the city.

The worried Andhra Pradesh government has kept its fingers crossed, even after the police gave permission for the rally to be held between 3.00 and 7.00 pm. Several paramilitary platoons have been called in. Preventive arrests have been made and barricades put up.

The security measures have, however, irked the rally organisers. M Kodandaram, the Chairman of the TJAC, said, "We will be peaceful as long as the police doesn't provoke us. They shouldn't arrest us. If the government keeps their part of the promise, we will assure a peaceful rally."

The worry that could perhaps be eating the Andhra Pradesh government is that the rally coincides with the Ganesh immersion festivities which will continue till Sunday afternoon. Also, the city is set to host the first international biodiversity summit on Monday, and any violence during the rally could prove to be a disaster.

Meanwhile, a day ahead of the rally, talks on considering the demand for creating Telangana gained momentum. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Chief K Chandrashekhar Rao said that Congress in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad assured him that a decision on the matter was imminent, possibly coming in as early as this week.

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