BJP Chief Ramachander Rao Launches Fast Over ₹12,000 Crore Fee Dues

Telangana BJP president N. Ramachander Rao on Monday launched a 48-hour hunger strike at the party’s Hyderabad office, demanding the immediate release of pending fee reimbursement dues for students. The protest is being held under the banner ‘Fee Dues – BJP Ladayi’.

Ramachander Rao claimed that the outstanding fee reimbursement amount had reached nearly ₹12,000 crore, affecting around 20 lakh students. He said dues stood at about ₹8,000 crore when the BRS government left office in December 2023 and alleged that the figure had increased after the Congress government came to power.

He alleged that the delay had created serious problems for both students and colleges. Several private institutions were reportedly withholding students’ certificates because of unpaid fees, while some colleges were struggling to pay staff salaries due to inadequate government funds.

The BJP president said student frustration over the issue was growing and cited a campaign by the party’s youth wing that collected five lakh signatures demanding action. He criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who also holds the Education portfolio, alleging that the government had failed to give sufficient attention to the issue. Ramachander Rao demanded that the Chief Minister step down from the Education Department.

He also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to visit Hyderabad and respond to the fee reimbursement issue. Ramachander Rao alleged that the Congress had failed to honour several commitments made to students and youth before the elections and warned that young voters would respond to the government politically.

BJP Legislature Party leader Mahesh Reddy and Medak MP Raghunandan Rao backed the agitation, accusing the Congress government of suppressing protests. Mahesh Reddy criticised the government over education funding, school infrastructure and the midday meal programme, while Raghunandan Rao alleged that students’ futures were being damaged as colleges withheld certificates.

The BJP leaders said the government had denied permission for a protest at Dharna Chowk and accused it of adopting an authoritarian approach.

Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy had earlier announced ₹2,400 crore in advance fee reimbursement payments for the current academic year, with ₹250 crore already made available for disbursement.