Kokate sends defamation notice to Rohit Pawar over rummy row

The NCP (SP) legislator had defamed him through baseless and malicious allegations, Kokate alleged in the defamation notice sent via a lawyer on August 19, seeking a written apology from Pawar within eight days of receipt

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Manikrao Kokate, who was removed as the state agriculture minister earlier this month after a video emerged of him allegedly playing online rummy in the state legislature, has sent a notice to NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar for alleged defamation via false claims.

Manikrao Kokate

Kokate said that he was not playing online rummy in the video, as alleged by Pawar in a social media post which was shared widely and led to NCP president and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar taking action against him by changing his portfolio to sports and youth welfare.

The NCP (SP) legislator had defamed him through baseless and malicious allegations, Kokate alleged in the defamation notice sent via a lawyer on August 19, seeking a written apology from Pawar within eight days of receipt. If Pawar did not tender an apology, Kokate would be compelled to initiate civil and criminal proceedings against him, the notice said.

Pawar had, on July 20, posted a video of Kokate, then agriculture minister, allegedly playing online rummy on his mobile phone when the legislative council was in session. Kokate had denied the allegations, saying an advertisement had popped up on his phone which took him some seconds to remove. The video was filmed while he was trying to close the advertisement, he had alleged.

Subsequently, Ajit Pawar decided to move Kokate out of the agriculture department. He was replaced by Dattratray Bharne.

The notice sent by Kokate to Pawar stated: “The tweets along with subsequent statements made by you on July 22, 2025 contain false, baseless and defamatory content aimed at tarnishing our client’s image… This is a malicious allegation that our client serving as agriculture minister was playing rummy in the legislature rather than addressing the agrarian crisis.”

Kokate sought “an unconditional written apology” within eight days from the date of receipt of the notice.

“Failure to comply will leave no option but to initiate appropriate civil and criminal proceedings against you before competent courts for defamation, harassment and damages,” the notice said.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Kokate said he did not know how to play online rummy.

“It also requires registration which I haven’t done in my life. It was a video game but a narrative was set against me because of which I had to suffer a lot and he will have to pay for it,” he said, referring to Pawar.

The sports and youth welfare also alleged that the video was shot without permission from the legislative council chairman.

“Someone shooting a video could get access to confidential passwords and personal information, which is a breach of right to my privacy,” he said.

On Friday, Pawar confirmed receiving the defamation notice in a post on social media platform X.

“The notice he sent is amusing. I couldn’t stop laughing after reading it. But remember, I don’t speak without evidence. I had proven with evidence that he was playing cards, and I will prove it again tomorrow with evidence,” he said in the post.

He also posted a copy of the defamation notice from his handle.

If Kokate was so concerned about defamation, why did he indulge in playing cards in the first place, Pawar asked. “There’s no need to separately mention your compassion for farmers and the feats you’ve accomplished,” he said, taking a jibe at the former agriculture minister.