Mumbai, July 21 (PTI) In fresh trouble for embattled Maharashtra agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad on Monday posted two videos claiming that the NCP leader was playing Junglee rummy on his mobile phone during the recent monsoon session of the state legislature.
Amid the growing clamour for Kokate’s resignation, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare said the party head and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar will take a serious note of the video and talk to the minister accordingly.
A political storm erupted on Sunday after NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar posted Kokate’s video clip on his X handle.
Facing flak, the minister clarified on Sunday that he was only trying to skip the downloaded rummy game on his mobile phone in the legislative council.
On Monday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also expressed his displeasure over Kokate’s video clip.
“It doesn’t look good. Even if a minister wasn’t participating in proceedings (of legislature), some seriousness needs to be shown,” he told reporters.
Fadnavis also stressed that Kokate had clarified that he wasn’t playing any game and that a notification had popped up on the screen of his mobile phone.
Awhad posted two videos claiming that the NCP leader was playing Junglee rummy on his mobile phone during the recent monsoon session of the state legislature.
He was checking his phone when the Upper House of the state legislature was adjourned.
“Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate was playing Junglee Rummy when the legislature proceedings were underway and the question hour had started,” Awhad stated on X.
“Now, I’m providing two videos. Watch both videos carefully… you’ll see which card was moved where and how. Manikrao Kokate himself is sliding the cards of online gambling with his fingers. Tell me, how much more evidence is needed? I’ll provide as much evidence as you ask for”.
Awhad alleged that Kokate has turned Maharashtra itself into a “game of gambling”.
Responding to the criticism, Kokate had said, “When the upper house of the state legislature was adjourned, I took out my mobile phone to check the business transacted in the lower house and was trying to open YouTube.
“The downloaded game suddenly opened, and I was skipping it. It was a matter of just 5 to 10 seconds; why that part was not shown?” he had told reporters.
Tatkare, meanwhile, said, “The statements made by the agriculture minister in the past were not correct. Party president Ajit Pawar had earlier spoken to him about that. In this video issue also, Pawar will take a serious note, and instructions will be given to Kokate accordingly”.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also slammed the state government, accusing ministers and office-bearers of the ruling parties of being arrogant and insensitive towards farmers’ issues.
Six farmers were committing suicide daily in Maharashtra, while Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate was seen playing an online game during the legislature session, Sapkal claimed and demanded immediate dismissal of the minister.
“The agriculture minister insults farmers, calls them beggars and claims they spend loan waiver amount on marriages. Now he is seen playing a game on his mobile phone. What is wrong with protesting against the minister? Arrogance of power doesn’t last long,” Sapkal said.
Sapkal’s colleague Nana Patole also demanded that Kokate be dropped from the Fadnavis cabinet.
“The government must seek his resignation if it has any shame. Ours is an agrarian economy. How can the agriculture minister sit in the House and play mobile phone games instead of framing policies for the welfare of farmers?” Patole told reporters in Bhandara.
In a related development, eleven workers of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP were booked on Monday in Latur in connection with the beating up of Chhava Sanghatna activists following a press conference of Tatkare a day earlier.
The NCP workers had assaulted the Chhava Sanghatna activists after the latter confronted Tatkare over a video of Kokate.
Based on the complaint of Chhava Sanghatna leader Vijay Ghadge, who was severely beaten up, 11 NCP workers were booked under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Maharashtra Police Act for causing grievous hurt, criminal intimidation and other offences, a Vivekanand Chowk police station official said.
Taking a serious note of the incident, Ajit Pawar on Monday asked his party’s youth wing chief Suraj Chavan to resign from his post.
The strict decision has been taken as his behaviour goes against the party’s values and will not be tolerated, Pawar, who had summoned Chavan to meet him, said in a statement.
Pawar said he has asked his party workers to always uphold the values of democracy, peace and non-violence in public life.
Meanwhile, workers from several political parties, including the Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), and social outfits called for a Latur ‘bandh’ (shutdown) on Monday against the assault and held a protest at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk at 9am.
A group of activists from the Chhava Sanghatna allegedly attempted to set fire to the Nationalist Congress Party’s office in Maharashtra’s Jalna, police said on Monday.
Speaking about Sunday’s clash, Maharashtra Revenue Minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule said people working in politics should not take the law into their own hands.
Kokate had courted a string of controversies in the past over his ‘insulting’ remarks against farmers.
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