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Viral video of Maharashtra minister playing ‘rummy’ in assembly sparks row; He responds
Criticising the ruling NCP faction, Rohit Pawar of the Sharad Pawar bloc of party said agri minister Manikrao Kokate has no work and has time to play rummy.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Sunday shared purported video of what he claimed was Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate playing a rummy game on his mobile phone in the state assembly.
Criticising the ruling NCP faction, Rohit Pawar of the Sharad Pawar bloc of the party said it is unable to function without consulting the BJP, adding that agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate has no work and has time to play rummy.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena.
Rohit Pawar made the remark in a post on X and shared a purported video of NCP leader Kokate playing a game on his mobile phone in the state legislative assembly.
"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," the NCP (SP) legislator wrote in the post.
Minister reacts to rummy controversy
On the controversy, Manikrao Kokate said it is a “solitaire game, not rummy”.
"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 said.
Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule on Sunday called for the resignation of Manikrao Kokate, pointing out that while 750 farmers had died by suicide in the past three months, the minister is engaged in playing games.
She urged the chief minister to take action and remove him from his position if he does not resign.
"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," news agency ANI quoted Supriya Sule as saying.
