Maharashtra minister seen 'playing cards' in assembly? Viral clip ignites battle over truth
What began as a social media buzz turned into full-on political drama by Sunday, with protests, clashes, and even violence involving the NCP and Maratha group Chhava Sanghatna.
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It started when Rohit Pawar, an opposition MLA from NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), posted the videos on social media platform X. He claimed the clips showed Minister Kokate playing a game on his phone instead of paying attention to House discussions.
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The videos quickly gained attention, leading to protests and calls for Kokate's resignation.
Kokate says it was a misunderstanding
Kokate responded from Nashik, saying the video had been edited to mislead people. According to him, he was trying to watch the Lower House proceedings from the Upper House using his phone, when an online card game ad popped up.
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'I tried skipping it twice but failed. On the third try, it finally closed,' said Kokate. He accused Rohit Pawar of showing only part of the video and said the real aim was to defame the BJP-led government.
Things escalated at a press conference in Latur, where NCP state chief Sunil Tatkare was addressing the media. Members of Chhava Sanghatna, led by Vijaykumar Ghadge, threw playing cards at Tatkare to protest and demand Kokate's resignation.
After Tatkare left, violence broke out. Local NCP workers allegedly attacked the Maratha protesters. One person was injured after being hit on the head with a chair.
No arrests were made till late Sunday, but the incident drew sharp reactions from across parties.
Reactions from all sides
Vijaykumar Ghadge-Patil accused NCP workers of attacking his team and warned of possible retaliation.
NCP spokesperson Suraj Chavan called the attack a 'natural reaction' to what he said was an attempt to humiliate the party.
Vidya Chavan of NCP (SP) strongly condemned the violence and said citizens had every right to question ministers. She asked Kokate to accept his mistake and tell the truth.
Minister blames opposition focus on "trivial" issues
Kokate continued to defend himself, saying the opposition only talks about 'my clothes, my cars and such things' instead of focusing on farmers' issues. He claimed if Rohit Pawar really cared about farmers, he would be highlighting the government's schemes.
He also said the opposition's focus on such matters shows they lack real concerns about governance.
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