Hyderabad, Dec 15 - Congress legislator Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy, brother of late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was Tuesday arrested as he began an indefinite hunger strike here to protest the proposed division of the state.

Vivekananda Reddy began the fast at the statue of Potti Sriramulu -- who died in 1952 after a 58-day hunger strike demanding a separate state for Telugu speaking people of then Madras State -- near the state secretariat.

Since the police have banned any gathering and procession in the city, he was taken into custody and sent to the Bolarum police station. His followers were also arrested.

Vivekananda Reddy, who is from Kadapa district of Rayalaseema region and is a member of the legislative council, sat on the fast after paying tributes to Potti Sriramulu on his death anniversary.

The government of India had carved out Andhra State with Kurnool as the capital in 1953.

Andhra State was merged with Telangana region (then called Hyderabad State) in 1956 to form Andhra Pradesh.

The central government last week agreed to initiate the process for granting separate statehood to Telangana region, comprising 10 districts including Hyderabad. This followed the 11-day hunger strike by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao. (IANS)