maha-minister-kokate-faces-flak-for-playing-game-in-assembly

A purported video showing Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate allegedly playing ‘rummy’ on his mobile phone inside the state legislative assembly has sparked sharp criticism and political attacks from the opposition.

 

On Sunday, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar posted the video clip on social media, accusing Kokate of ignoring pressing issues faced by farmers in the state and instead spending time playing a mobile game during an assembly session.

 

Criticising the ruling NCP faction, Pawar, who belongs to the Sharad Pawar-led bloc of the party, said the government could not function without consulting the BJP.

 

“The ruling NCP faction is unable to function without consulting the BJP, which is why even as there are several issues related to agriculture pending and eight farmers committing suicide daily in the state, the agriculture minister, who has no work, appears to have time to play rummy,” Pawar wrote in his post on X.

 

The Mahayuti alliance, which governs Maharashtra, includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.

 

In response to the controversy, Kokate denied playing rummy, claiming the footage showed him opening a solitaire game instead.

 

“Any of my colleagues must have downloaded it. I was trying to see what was happening in the lower house. I was not playing rummy. The opposition is trying to demean the government,” Kokate told reporters.

 

Meanwhile, Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule demanded Kokate’s resignation over the incident. She highlighted the plight of farmers and urged Maharashtra’s Chief Minister to sack Kokate if he did not step down voluntarily.

 

“A video of the Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra has come out. When the House was in session and the debate was underway, he was playing rummy on his mobile... 750 farmers have committed suicide in three months and the Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra is playing these games. He should resign for this dirty act; otherwise, the Chief Minister should remove him,” Sule told news agency.

 

The clip and ensuing statements have intensified tensions within the state’s already fractured political landscape, with the opposition sharpening its attacks over farmer welfare and accountability in the government.