Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) convenor M. Kodandaram was arrested Wednesday when he was heading towards Osmania University here to participate in a rally to demand a separate state of Telangana, police said.
Kodandaram was taken into custody at the RTC cross roads for violating prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure banning the assembly of five or more people in force in the city, police said.
The arrest again triggered tension at the university as student leaders said they are determined to take out a rally to Gun Park in front of the state assembly building.
The university had Tuesday witnessed clashes between pro-Telangana students and police.
As many as 31 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed in Hyderabad to help in maintaining law and order. A total of 70 companies have been rushed to the Telangana region to tackle the protests.
Osmania University has again emerged as the nerve centre of the Telangana agitation.