Hyderabad: Telangana BJP State President N. Ramchander Rao has launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Congress government in Telangana over the alleged failure to clear long-pending fee reimbursement dues, warning that the future of nearly 40 lakh students is being put at stake.
In a letter addressed to MP Rahul Gandhi dated September 9, 2026, the BJP Telangana President Ramchander Rao demanded that Rahul Gandhi intervene and put pressure on Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to immediately release the pending fee reimbursement dues and take corrective measures to address the education crisis in the state.
The same letter was also written in Italian, with the BJP Telangana State President making the same appeal to Rahul Gandhi in the Italian-language version
Ramchander Rao said fee reimbursement dues had accumulated to approximately Rs 15,000 crore, with students, particularly those from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and economically weaker sections, bearing the brunt of the delay.
He cited that colleges were withholding certificates because of the government’s failure to clear their fees, leaving students unable to pursue higher education or secure jobs.
“Why does Rahul Gandhi not hear our Goonj?” Ramchander Rao said students had repeatedly raised this question during his interactions across Telangana.
He said students were demanding support that was rightfully due to them and the fulfilment of promises made by the Congress.
Imagine writing to the CM about the fee reimbursement dues of 8 lakh+ students—and getting nothing but silence.
So BJP Telangana State President Ram Chander Rao Garu decided to take it a step further:
“Alright. Let’s write to Rahul Gandhi… in Italian.”😂
When the CM won’t… https://t.co/drHo9vX8Pz pic.twitter.com/NP7ufSpiZf
— BJP Telangana (@BJP4Telangana) September 9, 2026
The BJP leader also accused the Congress government of responding to student protests with arrests, police cases and lathi charges instead of addressing their grievances. He questioned whether such action was consistent with the Congress party’s stated commitment to democracy.
Rao further alleged that the consequences of delayed payments had extended beyond students to college managements, teachers and other staff. He said several institutions were struggling to function, with many employees receiving only half their salaries, while prolonged payment delays were affecting education quality, infrastructure and the ability of institutions to meet basic obligations.
‘1,000 days in office, promises remain unfulfilled’
Taking aim at the Congress government’s record, Rao said assurances relating to unemployment allowance, jobs, a job calendar and Vidya Bharosa Cards remained unfulfilled even as the government completed 1,000 days in office.
He said his decision to undertake a hunger strike was met with denial of permission for the proposed venue, forcing him to hold it at the BJP State Office. Rao claimed that his government had arrested him four times in ten days for raising his voice on behalf of students.
“Arresting an opposition leader cannot erase the grievances of 40 lakh students,” Rao said in the letter, arguing that police action could not absolve the government of its responsibilities.
The BJP leader also pointed to several other education-related grievances, including protests by Polytechnic students against the proposed merger of their colleges, AYUSH students demanding an increase in stipends, complaints over the quality of food under the mid-day meal scheme, poor hostel conditions, unpaid teacher salaries and the non-implementation of the PRC.
BJP questions Rahul Gandhi’s ‘custodian of youth’ image
Rao also took a direct swipe at Rahul Gandhi’s recent positioning as a “custodian of youth”, arguing that the same standards of accountability that Gandhi frequently demands from governments should apply to the Congress government in Telangana.
He said students in Telangana deserved an answer from Gandhi “backed by concrete action”.
Rao concluded by demanding that Rahul Gandhi pressure Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to immediately release the pending fee reimbursement dues and take urgent corrective measures to fix the education system in Telangana.
This open letter to Rahul Gandhi marks the latest escalation in BJP Telangana’s campaign over the student fee reimbursement crisis.
On August 26, Ramchander Rao launched a 48-hour hunger strike demanding the release of Rs 15,000 crore in pending dues.
On September 4, after the Congress government denied him an appointment with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy despite collecting representations signed by over 8 lakh students, he was arrested while attempting to submit them at the Secretariat.
On September 7, BJP’s Assembly protest was met with detentions after permission for a Dharna Chowk protest was denied.
On September 8, BJP submitted a memorandum to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla seeking intervention, alleging the Congress government had failed nearly 40 lakh students by withholding fee reimbursement dues.
The September 9 letter now directly questions Rahul Gandhi’s silence and demands his intervention.
