Hyderabad, Aug 25: Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao ended his 48-hour hunger strike at the party’s state headquarters in Nampally on Tuesday ( August 25) after his health deteriorated, while reiterating that the BJP’s agitation would continue until the Congress government releases the ₹15,000 crore pending fee-reimbursement and scholarship dues.
Rao began the hunger strike on Aug 24 under the banner of “Feesula Bakayi–BJP Ladayi” (BJP’s Battle for Fee Dues), demanding immediate release of the pending amount. Police had denied permission to hold the protest at Dharna Chowk, following which Rao began the hunger strike at the BJP state headquarters.
Rao criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who also holds the Education portfolio, alleging that the government was ignoring the problems of nearly 40 lakh students affected by the non-payment of fee reimbursement. He questioned why Revanth Reddy had time for overseas visits in the name of Harvard and Oxford programmes while not addressing students’ grievances. He also challenged Rahul Gandhi, who, he said, was travelling across the country and speaking about students in BJP-ruled states, to come to Telangana and answer for the fee reimbursement dues withheld by the Congress government.
40 లక్షల మంది విద్యార్థుల భవిష్యత్తును ప్రశ్నార్థకం చేస్తూ, ₹15,000 కోట్ల ఫీజు రీయింబర్స్మెంట్ బకాయిలు పెండింగ్లో పెట్టిన కాంగ్రెస్ ప్రభుత్వ నిర్లక్ష్య ధోరణికి నిరసనగా తెలంగాణ బిజెపి అధ్యక్షుడు శ్రీ @N_RamchanderRao గారు చేపట్టిన 2 రోజుల నిరాహార దీక్ష ముగిసింది.
'ఫీజుల… pic.twitter.com/J7Oumy1j0z
— BJP Telangana (@BJP4Telangana) August 25, 2026
Rao said students were facing severe hardships because of the non-release of the dues and were unable to obtain certificates, pursue higher education and take up job opportunities. He said the BJP had visited colleges across the state and collected signatures from five lakh students who expressed their anger over the non-payment of fee arrears.
He alleged that the Congress had come to power after making several promises in its Youth Declaration but had betrayed students. He also said that after being reprimanded by the High Court, the government had announced that it would release ₹2,000 crore as an advance for the next year but failed to keep the promise.
Rao alleged that when polytechnic students protested over their issues, the Revanth Reddy government ordered a lathi-charge on them. Recalling the protests by Ayush and Homeopathy students demanding an increase in their stipend, in which he said he had participated, he alleged that the government had also failed to address their concerns.
The BJP said the protest faced government and police restrictions. It alleged that permission was first denied at Dharna Chowk and that police later issued rejection letters even for holding the hunger strike in front of the BJP state office. The party also alleged that the government denied a medical team and ambulance services for the hunger-strike camp. Despite the restrictions, Rao continued the hunger strike at the party office.
The second day of the protest drew students, unemployed youth, women, intellectuals and artists in large numbers. Students from Osmania, Kakatiya, Palamuru, Telangana and Satavahana universities, along with students from engineering, medical, polytechnic, Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy colleges, expressed solidarity with Rao.
The BJP said the protest also received support from educational institution heads, college managements, teachers, lecturers, employees, lawyers, doctors, labour union leaders and representatives of ex-servicemen’s associations. BJP MPs, MLAs, MLCs, former MPs, former MLAs, state office-bearers and district presidents also attended the camp.
The BJYM submitted signatures collected from five lakh students and warned the Congress government over the pending dues.
BJP leaders at the camp criticised the Congress government, Revanth Reddy and Rahul Gandhi. They alleged that the Congress had made several promises to unemployed youth during the elections but was now ignoring students. They also warned that if the government failed to pay the ₹15,000 crore dues, the BJP would intensify the agitation and, along with students, lay siege to the Secretariat.
Rao’s health deteriorated during the continuous hunger strike after his blood pressure dropped and his sugar levels fell. A medical team examined him and warned that continuing the fast could pose a risk to his health. Following requests from senior party leaders and public representatives and respecting the doctors’ advice, Rao accepted lemon juice and ended the hunger strike.
Rajya Sabha member Dr K. Laxman, BJLP leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy, Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender, Adilabad MLA Payal Shanker and other leaders gave Rao lemon juice to mark the end of the hunger strike.
After ending the protest, Rao said the BJP’s fight for students’ rights would continue.
“Although the hunger strike has ended, the BJP’s fight for students’ rights will not stop. Until the government abandons its stubborn attitude and pays every rupee of the ₹15,000 crore dues, we will intensify the movement and will not allow the Congress government to sleep,” he said.
He said that if justice was not done to students, the BJP would soon lay siege to the Secretariat and force the Congress government to concede to their demands.
BJP MPs Dr K. Laxman, D.K. Aruna, R. Krishnaiah, Rekha Sharma, Eatala Rajender, Raghunandan Rao, Dharmapuri Arvind and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy attended the programme.
BJP MLAs Payal Shanker, Palvai Harish Babu, Dhanpal Suryanarayana Gupta, Venkata Ramana Reddy and Rakesh Reddy, along with Telangana BJP leaders Aleti Maheshwar Reddy, AVN Reddy, Dr N. Gautam Rao, Veerender Goud and Vemula Ashok, also attended the programme.
