Hyderabad, Sep 2026 : Telangana BJP president Ramchander Rao and several senior party leaders were detained by Hyderabad Police on Thursday while attempting to stage a protest outside the Telangana State Secretariat over pending fee reimbursement dues owed to students.
The BJP leaders had sought permission to enter the Secretariat and submit a representation to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, demanding the immediate release of funds pending under the student fee reimbursement scheme. However, police stopped the protesters, including activists of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), at the main gate of the Secretariat.
The BJP leaders insisted on entering the premises and meeting the Chief Minister, but security personnel denied them permission. As the protesters refused to disperse, some allegedly attempted to climb over the closed gate, resulting in a brief scuffle with security personnel.
Police subsequently detained Ramchander Rao, BJP Legislature Party leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy, MP D.K. Aruna and several other party leaders and activists. Ramchander Rao was taken to Chikkadpally Police Station, while D.K. Aruna was shifted to Gandhi Nagar Police Station.
Reacting to his detention, Ramchander Rao said the BJP would continue its agitation until all outstanding fee reimbursement dues were cleared. In a post on X, he alleged that the Congress government had “arrested the voice of 40 lakh students” who were waiting for reimbursement and vowed to continue fighting for their rights.
In another post, the Telangana BJP chief claimed that around 40 lakh students had been affected by the non-release of reimbursement funds, which he estimated at Rs 15,000 crore. He said he had previously undertaken a hunger strike over the issue, written to the Chief Minister and collected eight lakh signatures from students demanding clearance of the pending dues.
Rao said he had also sought an appointment with Revanth Reddy through a letter dated August 31 to submit representations collected from students. According to him, no response was received from the Chief Minister’s office.
Following this, Rao and other BJP leaders proceeded to the Secretariat on Thursday and attempted to meet the Chief Minister. When they were stopped from entering the premises, they launched the protest at the main gate.
The BJP has accused the Telangana government of failing to address the financial difficulties faced by students and educational institutions because of the pending reimbursements. The party has said it will intensify its campaign on the issue if the dues are not released.
The detention of senior BJP leaders came amid growing political exchanges between the ruling Congress and the opposition over student welfare and the implementation of government schemes. The BJP maintained that its protest was aimed at highlighting the concerns of students and securing the release of funds claimed to have remained pending for a prolonged period.
