"Fourteen persons, including Rao, were taken into preventive custody for staging a dharna near Raj Bhavan," Panjagutta Police Station Inspector S Mohan said.
Rao, floor leader of TDP in Telangana Legislative Assembly and other party leaders met Governor ESL Narasimhan, and then held a dharna demanding resignation of state Commercial Taxes Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who had defected from TDP to the ruling TRS last year.
The protesting TDP leaders in their representation to the Governor earlier alleged that the minister had faked his resignation (as MLA from TDP) letter before being inducted into the State Cabinet.