Hyderabad: Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao and several party leaders were taken into custody near the Secretariat on Thursday during a protest over Telangana fee reimbursement dues.
The BJP leaders were attempting to submit representations seeking immediate clearance of pending fee reimbursement amounts. The party claimed it had collected representations signed by more than eight lakh students. The BJP claimed that pending fee reimbursement dues amounted to Rs 15,000 crore.
Rao said he had written to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy three days earlier seeking an appointment. He wanted to personally submit the student representations to the Chief Minister. However, Rao alleged that he received no response from the government.
BJP march over Telangana fee reimbursement dues stopped
Rao subsequently led BJP leaders and workers towards the Secretariat to submit the representations. Police stopped the protesters near the Secretariat gates. This led to a protest by the BJP leaders, following which police took Rao and several others into custody.
Rao was shifted to Chikkadpally Police Station. Those taken into custody included BJP state general secretary Goutham Rao and BJLP leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy. MP D.K. Aruna, MLC Malka Komaraiah and state secretary Bhandaru Vijaya Laxmi were also among them.
Condemning the police action, Rao accused the Congress government of adopting what he described as an “anti-student” approach. He said he had earlier undertaken a hunger strike and written to the Chief Minister over the issue. He also cited the party’s campaign to collect student representations demanding payment of the dues.
Rao claimed that nearly 40 lakh students were affected by the broader issue. He said the BJP would continue its agitation until the Telangana fee reimbursement dues were cleared.