‘Rummy-in-the-House' row in Maharashtra: Opposition slams NCP minister Manikrao Kokate's shift to sports and youth department
In the wake of growing public outrage over Kokate's conduct and controversial remarks, CM Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday changed his portfolio from agriculture to sports and youth welfare, minority development and Waqf, and NCP minister Dattatray Bharne was given the agriculture portfolio.
State Congress president Harshawardhan Sapkal condemned the CM for his failure to sack Kokate from the cabinet. "We were expecting that Fadnavis would sack Kokate, instead he has been promoted and posted as cabinet member for sports and youth welfare.
Quite shocking,'' he said, adding that rummy players should now be awarded the Shiv Chhatrapati Awards.
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NCP (SP)'s Rohit Pawar, who first released Kokate's rummy-playing video in the legislature, said: "Instead of accepting Kokate's resignation, govt decided to take away the agriculture department and assign him the sports department. The sports department is also important from the perspective of the youth, and while working in this department, he should avoid past mistakes, make proper use of his experience, and do justice to the sports sector.
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He added: "Similarly, it is expected that Bharane will do justice to the farmers and remove the shadow of controversies that has plagued this department. Any ministerial position is a great responsibility, and if the person in that position does not act responsibly or fails to do justice to the post, the common people bear the brunt. Something similar happened in the case of Kokate, and it was the common farmers who were suffering the consequences, which is why there was a demand for his resignation.
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NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule said, "A person [Kokate] who is playing cards in the House, which is called the temple of democracy, should have been asked to resign, but they [BJP] have instead given him a promotion... On one hand, under the Khelo India programme, athletes are working to build their careers, and on the other hand, a leader who plays cards, 'Rummy Rao', has been given this ministry. This is very harmful for
Maharashtra
."
Kokate, on his part, said, "I am very happy with the new department.
I accept the decision taken by the CMs and the deputy CMs. I will continue my journey according to this decision."
On Bharne taking over the agriculture portfolio, Kokate said: "Bharne is a farmer's son. He is also a knowledgeable farmer, and this account has been entrusted to him. Therefore, this account will definitely get justice. If he asks me for any help, I will help him 100%."
Fadnavis on Friday said the decision to assign sports and youth welfare, minority development and waqf portfolio to Kokate was taken jointly after a discussion with deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.
He termed it a move to uphold accountability in governance. Kokate was shifted in the wake of growing public outrage over his conduct and controversial remarks.
"There was a lot of public anger. We discussed it together and decided to reassign the agriculture department to Dattatraya Bharne," Fadnavis told the media on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new international campus of Kavi Kulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University at Waranga.
"No other portfolios have been changed, and as of now, no such changes are being considered."
Dispelling speculation over his meeting with former NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, Fadnavis clarified there were no discussions related to any cabinet changes during a meeting between them. "Such decisions are not taken at Munde's level. They happen between me, Shinde, and Pawar," he said.
Fadnavis reiterated stern warning to all ministers against inviting public ire, stating, "I, Shinde, and Pawar have made it clear that irresponsible behaviour will not be tolerated.
The decision to remove Kokate is a signal — we are here for public service, and our words and actions must reflect that."
Ajit Pawar too cautioned NCP workers against misconduct, including public disturbances and celebratory firing, saying such actions tarnish the reputation of both the individual and the party. His remarks come in the wake of two recent controversies linked to NCP members, which included an incident in Pune district where the brother of an NCP MLA allegedly fired a gun at a "tamasha" venue in Daund.
"Do not go to Chaufula and do not open fire in the air. Such acts not only bring disrepute to the individual but also to the party," he told party functionaries at a gathering in Pune. Chaufula is a village on the Pune-Solapur Road in Daund tehsil, known for its folk art centres showcasing lavani and tamasha performances.
Kokate has been mired in controversy — first when a camera caught him allegedly playing an online card game during the recently concluded monsoon session of Maharashtra Legislature, and more recently, for his inflammatory statements about farmers and govt schemes.
He denied the gaming allegation, claiming he was trying to close a pop-up ad, and even offered to resign if proven guilty.
However, it was his remarks comparing govt with beggars in reference to the Re 1 crop insurance scheme that appear to have sealed his fate for showing the govt in poor light. "The govt takes Re 1 from farmers. But it does not give a single rupee to the farmers. The govt takes money. So who is the beggar? The govt is the beggar, not the farmers," he had said.
In previous statements, Kokate also alleged that farmers used govt funds for weddings and not agriculture, and that "2% to 4% corruption" in schemes was not a reason to shut them down. In Feb, he and his brother Sunil Kokate were sentenced to two years jail by a Nashik court for submitting fake documents to obtain flats under a govt quota in the 1990s.
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