Lokesh thanks Telugus in Karnataka for supporting his family

Vijayawada: Education minister Nara Lokesh on Saturday thanked Telugus living in Karnataka for standing by his family during the arrest of TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu when he was the opposition leader, saying his family would remain indebted to them for life.Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the Sri Krishnadevaraya Sainik School at Hosalli Camp in Raichur district, Lokesh said Telugus in Sindhanur, Raichur, and Gangavathi had taken out rallies when Naidu was "unlawfully arrested" and called their support a "source of immense strength for my family".Inaugurating the school along with Union steel minister H D Kumaraswamy and Union minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth, Lokesh said soldiers' sacrifices should never be forgotten and urged students to dream big and work relentlessly to realise their goals. He said setbacks, including academic failures, should be treated as learning experiences and not reasons for despair.Lokesh said value-based education was introduced in Andhra Pradesh to instil respect for women and social responsibility from a young age. He also highlighted the role of soldiers in ensuring peace and asked the public to salute them whenever they are seen.Referring to Centre-state cooperation, Lokesh said healthy competition between states accelerates development. He credited Kumaraswamy for standing firm against the privatisation of Visakhapatnam steel plant and supporting major industrial investments in Andhra Pradesh, including a green steel plant at Anakapalli. Earlier in the day, he unveiled a bronze statue of NT Rama Rao at the Telugu Sangham kalyana mandapam in Sindhanur.