Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao on Sunday challenged Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to visit Telangana and listen to the grievances of students allegedly affected by the Congress government’s failure to clear pending fee reimbursement dues.In a statement, Mr. Rao questioned Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ outreach programme, under which the Congress leader has been interacting with students and youth across the country. He alleged that while Mr. Rahul Gandhi was focusing on States governed by the NDA, he was ignoring students facing difficulties in Telangana under a Congress-led government.Mr. Rao claimed that nearly 20 lakh SC, ST, BC and EBC students in the State were suffering due to delays in fee reimbursement payments. According to him, thousands of students have been unable to pursue higher education or secure employment because educational institutions have withheld their original certificates over non-payment of pending fees.Questioning Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s commitment to student issues, the BJP leader asked whether the Congress MP was unaware of the situation in Telangana or whether his concern for students ended where Congress was in power. He also referred to observations made by the Telangana High Court regarding the issue of fee reimbursement arrears.Mr. Rao alleged that educational institutions had informed the court that payments pending from the 2020-21 academic year onwards were yet to be cleared. Citing estimates presented in various proceedings, he claimed that the outstanding amount ranged between ₹10,000 crore and ₹12,000 crore. He said the delay in payments was affecting students’ careers, limiting opportunities and placing financial strain on families.The BJP State chief further accused Mr. Rahul Gandhi of failing to fulfil promises made to Telangana’s youth during the 2023 Assembly election campaign. He alleged that commitments relating to a job calendar, employment opportunities and unemployment assistance had not been implemented despite more than two-and-a-half years of Congress rule in the State.He said Mr. Rahul Gandhi had visited Ashok Nagar during the election campaign and appealed to him to return to the area and interact directly with students and job aspirants. “If Mr. Rahul Gandhi was genuinely interested in hearing students’ voices, he should organise a ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Telangana and listen to their concerns firsthand,” Mr. Rao said. Published - August 09, 2026 06:52 pm IST