Row over Maha minister mobile‘game’ video during legislative session

A viral video of NCP leader and Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate purportedly playing a game of rummy on his mobile phone during a legislative session has sparked a huge row, with the opposition accusing the government of being insensitive to farmers.
Facing criticism, Kokate on Sunday clarified that he was only trying to skip the downloaded game on his mobile phone, which popped up for 5 to 10 seconds while checking YouTube to understand the business transacted in the lower house during the recently concluded monsoon session.
He was checking his phone when the Upper House of the state legislature was adjourned.
The video was posted on the X by NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar, targeting the NCP headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and 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 stated.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Vijay Wadettiwar accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of being “deceitful” and “treacherous” towards farmers.
“Farmers are dying, and the agriculture minister was playing a game on his mobile phone. This deceitful and treacherous government is not concerned with farmers. I appeal to farmers to teach them a lesson,” he told reporters. Responding to the criticism, Kokate 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 asked while speaking to reporters.
The NCP MLA from Sinnar in Nashik district is not a stranger to controversies. A huge row erupted in April when Kokate claimed that farmers do not spend money received from agriculture schemes on intended purposes, but instead use it for engagement ceremonies and weddings.
As his remarks drew condemnation, he expressed remorse and tendered an apology. Earlier this year, a magistrate court in Nashik district convicted Kokate and his brother, Sunil Kokate, and sentenced them to two years of imprisonment for submitting fake documents to secure flats under a government quota. The duo filed an appeal against the conviction before a sessions court.
In a huge relief to the Kokate brothers, District Judge 1 and Additional Sessions Judge (Nashik), N V Jiwane, on March 5 stayed the conviction until an order on their appeal.