Minister Nara Lokesh Responds to Criticism Over Attending Cricket Match

Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh recently attended the India-Pakistan match in Dubai as part of the ICC Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, candidates from Group-2 were staging protests, leading to strong criticism from leaders of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), who accused Lokesh of prioritizing a cricket match over pressing state issues.

Responding to these allegations in the Legislative Council today, Lokesh stated that attending the India-Pakistan match was a desire many shared, and he, too, wished to witness it. He asserted that his decision to travel to Dubai stemmed from his patriotism. However, he expressed disappointment over being ridiculed for this.

Lokesh further revealed that during his visit, he met ICC Chairman Jay Shah and discussed plans for building a stadium in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, that would surpass the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in size. "Jay Shah agreed to the proposal for constructing the country's largest stadium in Amaravati," Lokesh stated.

Discussing the Narendra Modi Stadium’s construction, Lokesh mentioned, "I inquired about the cost involved and how the stadium is utilized for multiple activities beyond cricket. Jay Shah advised us to build a stadium with similar multi-purpose functionality. We are committed to this vision. Even during my visit to Dubai, I observed various aspects such as stadium management, seating arrangements, and overall quality."

Reaffirming the government's commitment to sports development, Lokesh stated that he had discussions with the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) chairman and the Andhra Cricket Association president. He emphasized that the government is focused on promoting cricket and other sports at the grassroots level.