Telangana BJP chief pens Italian note to Rahul Gandhi over student fee dues

Telangana’s BJP state president, N. Ramchander Rao, has taken an unusual step to draw attention to a simmering controversy: he wrote a formal letter to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Italian. The missive, sent on Wednesday, asks Gandhi to intervene with the Congress‑led state government over a massive backlog of student fee‑reimbursement dues.

Rao told reporters that the party has been on the streets for the past ten days, demanding that the state clear pending refunds that now total roughly Rs 10,000 crore. “We have been protesting, and I have been arrested four times in this period,” he said, his voice punctuated by the memory of lathi‑charges that left several students and party workers injured and hospitalised.

According to Rao, the protests are not a new development. The previous BRS administration left about Rs 5,000 crore unpaid, and the amount has apparently doubled under the current Congress government. “The students’ education is in jeopardy,” he added, “and the administration seems indifferent.”

Why write in Italian? Rao explained with a wry smile, “I have written to you in English before, perhaps it didn’t get through. So I thought I’d try your ‘mother tongue’.” The comment was a clear jab at Gandhi, whose family’s heritage includes Italian roots.

Rao’s letter urges Gandhi to use his influence with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, rather than “touring the country and fooling the students.” He hopes that a direct appeal from Gandhi will push the state to honour the election promises made by the Congress regarding fee reimbursements.

The BJP has been quick to accuse the Telangana government of neglecting the financial distress of students and educational institutions, saying the delay not only hampers studies but also erodes public confidence in the government’s ability to deliver on its commitments.

While the Congress has yet to respond publicly, the episode adds another layer to the political tussle in the southern state, where both parties are keenly watching each other’s moves ahead of upcoming local elections.

As the story unfolds, the hope among students is simple: get the money that’s rightfully theirs, and let the political drama stay out of the classroom.