Telangana : BJP chief ends fast, warns Congress govt over pending fee dues

Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Tuesday concluded his fast vowing to continue the party's struggle for the release of pending dues of students' tuition fee reimbursement by the Congress government.

BJP MP K Laxman offered lemon juice to Rao, marking the end of the fast which began on August 24.

Hitting out at the Congress government, Laxman said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is making tall claims about improving education in the state without addressing basic issues.

According to him, the retired teachers are agitating to get their retirement benefits.

He asserted that the BJP would put up a determined fight for the release of pending dues of the tuition fees reimbursement scheme.

He appealed to Ramchander Rao to end his fast and take up struggles with students and youth.

Rao vowed to intensify the BJP's fight for the release of pending dues to the tune of Rs 15,000 crores.

"We will not let the Congress government rest until each paisa of the dues are released. We will soon organise protest at the Secretariat if the Congress government if justice is not delivered to the students," Rao said.

Though Rao had planned to undertake the fast for 48 hours, he called it off on Tuesday following medical advice and requests by senior party leaders, a BJP release said.

Rao's health caused concern following a fall in his BP and sugar levels due to the fast, it said.

The state BJP president had on August 24 said the pending dues of tuition fees reimbursement scheme put the future of about 20 lakh students at stake.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is provoking the country's youth, should come to Hyderabad and answer the people on the pending dues of the fee reimbursement scheme, he had said.

(Inputs from PTI)