Appropriate action may be taken against Kokate: NCP
CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR/KOLHAPUR: NCP's Maharashtra unit chief Sunil Tatkare indicated 'appropriate' action against party functionary and agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate after a video posted by NCP(SP)'s Rohit Pawar showed Kokate playing Junglee Rummy game on his phone during an assembly session.
'What happened was inappropriate. A minister holding a sensitive and important portfolio such as agriculture, must work responsibly for the welfare of farmers, especially during times of agrarian crisis. The party will take a suitable decision regarding Kokate,' he told reporters in Dharashiv and Solapur districts.
Tatkare, considered close to party chief and deputy CM
Ajit Pawar
, said he believed Pawar had already spoken to Kokate. 'At times, his (Kokate) remarks on crop insurance and loan waivers were improper. Even earlier, Ajit dada (Pawar) reprimanded him. The explanation Kokate provided regarding the video is also incorrect,' he said.
It has fueled speculation about Kokate's removal from the cabinet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Kamra questions privilege notice: ‘Can't be used as shield against embarrassment'
Mumbai: Asserting that his remarks on deputy CM Eknath Shinde didn't interfere with the functioning of the state legislature, standup comic Kunal Kamra has said the notice on the breach of privilege motion moved against him appears to be mala fide and motivated. A breach of privilege motion is not meant to shield legislature members from the embarrassment or discomfort caused by a citizen's legitimate exercise of his freedom of speech, regardless of what position they occupy in the executive, he said in his reply to the notice. He said Shinde can't be equated to or conflated with the entire Vidhan Sabha. Legislature officials said state law department authorities are in agreement and have cited various Supreme Court orders to say that a breach of privilege motion can sustain only if a person's act restricts a legislator from discharging his/her legislative duties. Officials said they had recommended against admitting the motion, but legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde eventually decided to do so and send it to the privileges committee to initiate proceedings. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The council chair had in June admitted the motion moved three months prior by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar against Kamra over his parody song alluding to the deputy CM. Legislature officials said Kamra could be summoned after the privileges committee examines his reply. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cargo Ship Meets Pirates - Watch What the Captain Does Next! Tips and Tricks Undo In June, following reports that breach of privilege proceedings had been initiated against him, Karma had said in a post on X, "The real breach of trust is letting people die in public transport every day." During a standup show, Kamra had performed a parody of a popular Hindi song that referred to Shinde's rebellion against the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA govt in 2022 and alluded to him a "gaddar" (traitor). He also made jokes about political developments in Maharashtra in recent years, including party splits within Shiv Sena and NCP. "Shiv Sena first came out of BJP, then Shiv Sena came out of Shiv Sena. NCP came out of NCP, they gave nine buttons to one voter. .. Everyone got confused," Kamra had said. On July 18, the legislative council passed a motion allowing the privileges committee to submit its report on Kamra by the last date of the legislature's next session.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
New cooperative policy centralises power and snatches rights of State governments, says Samyukt Kisan Morcha
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a platform of several farmers' organisations, has alleged on Sunday (July 27, 2025) that the National Cooperation Policy (NCP), unveiled by Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah on Friday, violates the Constitution of India, centralises power and snatches rights of State governments. In a statement issued here on Sunday, the SKM said the policy lacks the perspective to protect rights of farmers and workers on livelihood, minimum support price, minimum wage and sharing of surplus. The SKM alleged that the new policy is aimed at seizing people's resources, and making cooperatives serve corporate interests and it urged the political parties and State governments to fight the attack on cooperative federalism to protect the Indian Union. 'As per the Constitution of India. Cooperative Societies come under entry 32 of the State list [list II] of the seventh schedule. The Supreme Court ruling on 97th Amendment IXB of the Constitution has categorically said 97th amendment is unconstitutional in so far as it pertains to cooperative societies operating within a single State. The court found that that part of the amendment required ratification by at least half of the State legislatures as per article 368(2) of the Constitution which was not done,' the SKM said. Attack on rights Maintaining that none of the mainstream media has pointed out such violation of the Constitution of India by the Narendra Modi Government and the Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, the SKM alleged that the media justified the planned, dangerous attack on the rights and livelihood of the people as assured by the Constitution. 'The Union Cooperative Ministry is applicable only to the Union Territories and the Multi-State Cooperative Societies. In the true spirit, the Multi-State Cooperative Societies also violate the Constitutional provisions regarding cooperative societies. Such efforts are aimed at seizure of people's resources by the ruling class parties, especially the BJP-RSS. The trend of centralisation of power needs to be vehemently resisted by the people especially peasantry, working class and all other sections in trade, services and manufacturing facing the brunt of corporate domination and exploitation,' the SKM said. The SKM said there is no provision in the new policy to ensure modernisation of agriculture and develop agro based industries and cooperative marketing networks. 'The policy does not contain the concept of producer and consumer cooperatives, collective and cooperative farming to reap the advantage of economies of scale such as reduction in cost of production and leverage of enhancing production and productivity with the support of science and advanced technology thus ensuring generation of employment and remunerative income to overcome the agrarian crisis. Thus the NCP 2025 fails to come up with meaningful proposals for modernisation of agriculture, industry and services,' the SKM said. 'Corporate sector will dictate prices' The SKM said once the domination of agribusiness over agriculture and rural resources is completed, the corporate sector will dictate the market and prices and let loose exploitation on the entire working people across the country. 'If the BJP and RSS leadership is sincere for development of the farmers, workers and marginalised sections, they should insist the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister to rather empower the State governments based on the perspective of cooperative federalism and provide 50% of the resources of the Union Government to support State governments and modernise cooperative societies across India. The corporate forces should not be allowed to enter agriculture and agro based industries and markets and Union and the State governments have to regulate the private sector to ensure minimum wage to workers and minimum support price to farmers,' the SKM statement added. The NCP 2025 if implemented will infringe on the rights of the State governments and facilitate corporate takeover of agriculture, horticulture, dairy and fisheries sectors. The SKM demands all the political parties and State governments to oppose the NCP 2025 and fight the attack on cooperative federalism in order to protect the Indian Union and the interests of the entire working people, the statement added.
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
Pune ‘drug party' raid: CM Fadnavis' first reaction as ex-minister Eknath Khadse's son-in-law among 7 held
In first comments after former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse's son-in-law was arrested after Pune Police busted a rave party on Sunday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that although it appears that a crime was committed, he will only be able to talk more about it after he receives a proper briefing. According to a PTI report, police arrested seven persons after busting a "drug party" following a raid at an apartment in Pune early on Sunday and seized narcotics, hookah set ups and liquor, officials said. Pranjal Khewalkar, the husband of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse's daughter Rohini Khadse, was among those arrested, they said. Rohini Khadse is state president of the women's wing of the opposition NCP (SP). Reacting to the arrest, CM Fadnavis said, 'Even I saw it only in the media. I've been attending programmes since morning, so I haven't received an actual briefing on it yet. Based on what is being shown in the media, the police have busted a rave party, and some people have been found there. Drugs were reportedly found.' 'Once I receive a proper briefing, I will be able to comment on it. Prima facie, it appears that a crime has taken place at that location,' the CM was quoted by ANI as saying. The police's Crime Branch carried out the raid at the studio apartment located in the upscale Kharadi area of Maharashtra's Pune city based on a tip-off about a rave party, an official told PTI. The raid was conducted around 3.30 am on Sunday and a 'drug party' was busted at the studio apartment, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Nikhil Pingle said at a press conference in Pune. During the raid and subsequent search, police seized 2.7 grams of cocaine-like substance, 70 gm of a ganja-like substance, a hookah pot, various hookah flavours, and liquor, and beer bottles, Pingle said. "We have arrested seven individuals, identified as Pranjal Khewalkar, Nikhil Poptani, Sameer Sayyad, Shripad Yadav, Sachin Bhombe, Isha Singh and Prachi Sharma, under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act," he said. All the accused were sent for medical examination and their reports are awaited, the official said. Reacting to the raid, Eknath Khadse said it should be probed if there was a political motive behind the police action. Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Sushma Andhare said the raid is a message for those speaking against the government. (With inputs from agencies)
