Police on Saturday detained several activists and leaders, including Prof. M. Kodandaram, who sought to take out the "Million March' to supposedly commemorate the first such march that took place in 2011 as a part of the agitation for a separate Telangana. Permission to take out the march planned for Saturday afternoon was denied by the police. People were warned against going towards Tank Bund, where a large police force was deployed. On Saturday, the police detained protesters in Hyderabad, mainly near Tank Bund and at a few places on city outskirts. Prof. M. Kodandaram, Chairman of Telangana Joint Action Committee (T-JAC), one of the organisers of the march, was detained by the police near his house. "A posse of policemen were posted outside my house on Friday evening. On Saturday, as I headed for the march, I was detained," Prof. Kodandaram told The Hindu from Bolarum Police Station, where he was detained. The T-JAC chairman alleged violations by the police in handling detainees. "In districts, some people were detained on Friday itself and were in detention until Saturday evening. The Constitution says the police cannot detain a person for more than 24 hours," he said, while claiming that around 3,000 people were detained. Before he was being detained by the police, Prof. Kodandaram said the march was a move to peacefully recollect the first march and highlight social problems in the State. Other prominent persons, including CPI State Secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, noted political activist and singer Vimalakka, and women's rights activist Sandhya, were detained when they attempted to reach Tank Bund. Representatives of many student organisations that announced support for the march were also detained. To prevent demonstrators from reaching Tank Bund, the police closed the area to general traffic, diverting commuters away from the venue of the protest. Diversions slowed down traffic movement in many parts of the city. The road was opened to traffic late in the evening.