Hyderabad, Dec 6 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah Sunday said violence by protestors demanding a separate state for the Telangana region had scared away investors.
“Incidents of violence can impact investment,” Rosaiah told reporters, adding: “They have already created some concern in the information technology sector.”

The chief minister also appealed to Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao to call off his fast-unto-death, which entered the eighth day Sunday.

Maintaining that steps would be taken to protect industry, Rosaiah said: “No one should have any apprehensions as the government is capable of protecting the interests of the business and industry.”

He said police had been asked to exercise restraint, “but this did not mean that they would be mute spectators to attacks on public and private property”.

“The government has a responsibility to protect public and private property and there is no need to issue special orders for police in this regard,” Rosaiah said.

TRS workers had Saturday attacked shopping malls and buses at Panjagutta, in the heart of the city, near Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) where Chandrasekhara Rao is undertaking the fast.

For the past week, protestors have been damaging buses of the state-owned Road Transport Corp, government offices and private property across Telangana region comprising Hyderabad and nine other districts.