Maha min, who 'played rummy', now says 'govt is a beggar'
NASHIK: Maharashtra's agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, who 'played rummy', ignited a fresh controversy as he referred to govt as a "beggar" while explaining a previous remark, in Nashik on Tuesday.
Kokate, who represents Nashik's Sinnar assembly constituency, was interacting with media persons, and was questioned about his previous remarks suggesting that even beggars do not accept Re 1 in alms now while govt provides crop insurance for that amount. He clarified, "Govt doesn't give Re 1 to the farmers, it takes Re 1 from them for crop insurance. So who is the beggar here? Govt is a beggar, and not the farmer. My statement was misconstrued then by the people.
" Govt has now replaced the Re 1 crop insurance scheme with Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis called Kokate's comments "inappropriate". Speaking in Gadchiroli, he said, "We have taken corrective measures in the crop insurance scheme as we saw insurance companies benefitting and not farmers. We have taken steps to invest Rs 5,000 crore every year in the agriculture sector."
NCP-SCP MP and party's working president Supriya Sule, too, condemned Kokate's remarks in a post on X. "It took the supreme sacrifice by 105 martyrs in the struggle for United Maharashtra and immense contribution by previous CMs and the people to make Maharashtra the most prosperous state in the country. Calling the state a 'beggar' is a disaster and an insult to them," she said.
"There has never been an agriculture minister who behaved so insensitively towards farmers when there are so many burning issues. The portfolio should be handled by someone sensitive towards agriculture and farmers," Sule added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
28 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Best of BS Opinion: Landing right when the ground is full of potholes
We all know that particular moment when you're walking down a familiar lane, eyes on your phone or lost in thought, when a pothole filled with muddy water suddenly appears in your path. You don't have time to study it. There's no traffic light or warning cone. You just leap — instinctively, awkwardly, hoping to clear the splash. Sometimes, you land clean. Sometimes, you get drenched despite your best effort. But in either case, the leap is a moment of decision, a refusal to sink into something messy and unfixable. Most of us don't think of it as bravery. But really, it is: the everyday kind, shaped by necessity, uncertainty, and a deep distrust of what lies beneath the surface. Let's dive in. That's what the Supreme Court just did, vaulting back from a May judgment that had declared the Bhushan Power & Steel resolution plan illegal. In recalling that verdict, the Bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai acknowledged not just a legal misstep, but the economic splash it had caused, of risking JSW Steel's investment of Rs 20,000 crore in investment, thousands of livelihoods, and the very credibility of the IBC, notes our first editorial. It was a leap back to stable ground, but also a reminder that the potholes, like chronic NCLT delays, still remain, waiting to trip up another resolution. And in Maharashtra, two judgments revealed deeper craters in our justice system. Eighteen years of trial in the 2006 train blasts case, only to find coerced confessions and tampered evidence. Another acquittal in the Malegaon blasts. The courts jumped, but the puddles are darker here. Victims' families and the wrongly accused alike are left drenched in delayed justice, their lives shaped by a system that's failed to dry itself off. Elsewhere, Laveesh Bhandari maps a different balancing act, between India's small-town shopkeepers and the tidal force of e-commerce. The splash here is subtle: convenience versus community, price versus people. Can policy help us leap toward a hybrid model that combines reach with resilience? That may be the trick to landing without losing our footing. Prosenjit Datta, meanwhile, cautions that India's economic path is riddled with strategic potholes: rare earth dependency, tech gaps, weak AI foundations. Until we build muscle memory for self-reliance, each new global shock will feel like slipping on familiar gravel. And Chintan Girish Modi reviews A Billion Butterflies: A Life in Climate and Chaos Theory, the story of Dr Jagadish Shukla — a scientist who leapt across continents, chaos theory, and climate politics. His memoir captures a life of graceful leaps over personal pain, global geopolitics, and scientific inertia. But as he writes, too many leaders still stand at the edge, hesitant, staring into the water, waiting. Stay tuned!
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Pune Police claim ‘no case' under Atrocities Act, say issue resolved through dialogue
PUNE: The Pune police have denied allegations of caste-based abuse and assault by officers during a raid at a residence in Kothrud, even as the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) demanded immediate action, including the registration of a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Mumbai, India - June 5, 2025:NCP MP Supriya Sule addressing to media during press conference at YB Chavan center in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) The controversy stems from an incident earlier this week in which three young women — social workers — accused Kothrud police personnel of forcibly entering their home, illegally detaining them, using casteist slurs, and physically assaulting them. The women alleged that the police targeted them for helping another woman in distress. The allegations triggered political reactions and protests, with Congress and NCP(SCP) accusing the Pune police of high-handedness and caste bias. Harshavardhan Sapkal, president, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, called the incident a reflection of the deteriorating law and order situation in the city. 'Police arrogance is growing, while drug rackets and gangs remain unchecked. The officers responsible for harassing these women must be booked under the Atrocities Act,' he said, questioning why an FIR had not been registered. Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule also flagged the matter, stating on social media platform X that she had received a video showing the alleged abuse. 'If the contents of the video are true, it is extremely serious. The Home Minister must take urgent cognisance,' she posted. The incident prompted protests outside the Pune Police Commissionerate late Saturday night. Among those who accompanied the women and demanded accountability was Sujat Ambedkar, son of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Dr Prakash Ambedkar. He questioned the police's failure to register a case under the Atrocities Act and sought a written explanation. However, inspector Sandeep Deshmane, Kothrud Police, in a written response to the complainants, said the initial investigation did not support the version presented by the women. 'Prima facie, the facts do not fall under the scope of the Atrocities Act,' he stated. Amitesh Kumar, Pune Police Commissioner, said, 'The issue has been resolved through dialogue.' Meanwhile, Sambhaji Kadam, deputy commissioner of police (Zone III), said no case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act has been registered. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, 'Instructions have been given to police not to come under any pressure and act as per the law.'
Hans India
28 minutes ago
- Hans India
Public health to prevail over revenue: CM
Amaravati: Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced that public health will prevail over revenue under the new bar policy for Andhra Pradesh taking effect on September 1. During a review with officials from the Excise Department, the Chief Minister stressed the importance of public health vis-à-vis income generation. He stated that while most states focused on revenue from liquor policies, public health was his government's priority. Chandrababu Naidu pointed out that providing liquor with lower alcohol content could significantly protect the health of consumers. "We must not just think of revenue when it comes to liquor policy. The primary focus should be the health of our citizens," he said. The Chief Minister expressed his view that millions of families had suffered under the previous government due to the sale of 'poor-quality liquor'. He emphasised the need to protect the poor from financial woes and impaired health caused by consumption of inferior liquor. The review, attended by Ministers Kollu Ravindra and Kondapalli Srinivas, was held as the current bar policy is set to expire. Officials presented proposals for the new policy, which is based on a report submitted by a sub-committee of the cabinet. The new policy will allow for bar licences to be issued by draw of lots. The state currently has 840 bars. The cabinet sub-committee has suggested an annual licence fee structure based on population: population below 50,000, Rs 35 lakh; population up to 5 lakh, Rs 55 lakh; and population above 5 lakh, Rs75 lakh.
