Video: Maharashtra Minister Caught Playing Rummy In Assembly. His Defence

Maharashtra agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate is under fire after a video allegedly showed him playing rummy during a session of the legislative assembly. The video has given ammunition to the opposition, which has targeted the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar today used the viral video to take a swipe at the ruling alliance. Mr Pawar said, "Even with countless agricultural issues pending and 8 farmers committing suicide daily in the state, the Agriculture Minister, with nothing else to do, seems to have time to play rummy.

The minister, meanwhile, has defended his actions. "When I know there is a camera, why would I sit there to play a game? I wanted to skip it, I tried twice, I didn't know how to skip the game, but in the next second, I skipped it," said Mr Kokate.

He accused the opposition of targeting him, using an "incomplete video". "If you watch the full video, you will see that I skipped the game. I picked up my mobile to see what was going on in the lower house on YouTube, and then the game got downloaded on my phone. I was trying to skip it, but it didn't work. And the opposition is targeting me based on an incomplete video."

Rohit Pawar, in a post in Marathi on X, wrote: "Will these misguided ministers and the government ever hear the desperate plea of farmers demanding crop insurance, loan waivers, and price support: 'Come to the fields of poor farmers sometimes, Maharaj'?"

Mr Pawar's remarks also came two days after state NCP chief and party MP Sunil Tatkare's submission that the BJP needs to be consulted for the two factions of the NCP to reunite. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP joined hands with the ruling BJP in Maharashtra in July 2023.

"There is no discussion on unification even within our core group. Even when such a situation arises and the time comes to come together, we will have to talk to the central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party, because the top leadership of the BJP took us with them. Consulting them is natural," Mr Tatkare told reporters.

Thousands of farmers have been impacted, especially in the Vidarbha region, due to widespread floods.

Earlier this week, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Mahayuti government is committed to give a loan waiver to farmers. "A loan waiver is a short-term measure. We have set up a committee to suggest long-term solutions to resolve agriculture stress and bring farmers out of debt," he said.


 

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