Hyderabad, Dec 24 (IANS): Amid high drama, police here Saturday arrested a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator who wanted to hang himself for separate Telangana state, provided Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao also joined him.

M. Narasimhulu, another party leader E. Dayakar Rao and their supporters were arrested at Telangana martyrs' memorial at Gun Park in front of the state assembly.

Earlier, holding a long rope in his hands, Narasimhulu declared that he would wait for Chandrasekhara Rao at Gun Park till noon.

Accusing TRS chief of betraying the cause of Telangana and blaming him for the suicide of 700 people, the TRS legislator dared him to hang himself. He alleged that KCR, as the TRS chief is popularly known, entered into a secret deal with the Congress party to end the mass strike in Telangana.

As some youth leaders of TRS also left the party office for Gun Park, stating that they were ready to hang themselves, there was apprehension of a clash between the two groups. Police swung into action to arrest the TDP legislators.

Police also arrested TRS leaders and activists who reached Gun Park to stage a protest against Narasimhulu.

TRS leader Harish Rao told reporters that if anyone should be hanged for betraying Telangana, it is TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu. The legislator alleged that Naidu, who had promised separate state in 2009 elections, went back on his word after the centre announced its decision to initiate the process for formation of Telangana state.

The war of words between the two parties is likely to intensify further in view of the coming by-elections for six assembly seats in the region. The seats fell vacant after the resignations of TDP and Congress rebels.

In an attempt to regain lost ground in the region, Naidu recently conducted a 'padyatra' in Telangana for farmers. TDP claimed that his walkathon was successful despite the threats from TRS to disrupt it.