Latest news with #NationalistCongressParty
Scroll.in
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Maharashtra minister loses agriculture portfolio after row over online game in Assembly, gets sports
Days after a row erupted over Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate allegedly playing an online card game in the Assembly, the state government on Thursday shifted him from the agriculture ministry to the sports and youth welfare department in a late-night reshuffle, PTI reported. A notification issued by the General Administration Department said that Dattatrey Bharne, who is the current sports minister, will be the new agriculture minister. It added that Kokate will also be in charge of the minority development and Auqaf department. The political row erupted on July 20 after a video of Kokate purportedly playing an online card game in the Assembly was shared on social media by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar. In a post on X, Rohit Pawar claimed that Kokate appeared to have 'time to play rummy' since the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party faction could not take any decision without its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party. He added: 'Therefore, when scores of farm issues are pending and every day eight farmers are ending their lives in Maharashtra, the agriculture minister does not seem to have any work.' Kokate, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party group led by Ajit Pawar, represents the Sinnar constituency in Nashik. The faction is part of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition in the state, which includes the BJP and the Shiv Sena group led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Kokate had claimed that someone else had downloaded the game on his phone. He added that he was merely checking the proceedings of the other House on YouTube and the game popped up while skipping the advertisement during the video. The minister also claimed that it was 'a solitaire game, not rummy'. Calling it a 'conspiracy', Kokate said that the full video should come out. 'The Opposition's tactics will never succeed,' he added. The video, however, drew criticism from across party lines. Several politicians had demanded his resignation. Earlier on Thursday, amid speculation about his continuation in the Cabinet, Kokate claimed that he neither offered to resign nor was he asked to step down by his party or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, PTI reported. 'I do not want to speak on this issue anymore,' the news agency quoted him as telling a news channel in Pune. 'I will speak after the inquiry report [on the card game row] is out.' Kokate said that he had met Ajit Pawar and discussed the matter. 'I had apologised to farmers recently during media interaction if their sentiments were hurt due to the card game controversy,' he added. The minister had triggered another row earlier in July after allegedly describing the state government as a 'beggar' while speaking about crop loan insurance. 'The chief minister had expressed his displeasure over the 'beggars' statement,' Kokate said on Thursday. 'I called him up and clarified my stand. I blame it on the lack of articulation.'
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Days after row over mobile game, Kokate stripped of Agri portfolio, moved to Sports
Days after a purported video of Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate playing a card game on his mobile phone during a Legislative Council session triggered political uproar, he was stripped of his portfolio on Thursday. Kokate, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has now been assigned the Youth Welfare, Sports and Minority Development department, while NCP minister Dattatraya Bharne, who previously held it has been appointed agriculture minister. The reshuffle came following mounting pressure from the Opposition, which had demanded Kokate's resignation over the viral video. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar submitted the reshuffle proposal to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Thursday morning. Sources said the decision was expedited to contain further damage to the government's image. The controversy also found a mention in Tuesday's state cabinet meeting, where CM Fadnavis issued a stern warning to his council of ministers. Without naming Kokate, he cautioned ministers against 'indulging in conduct that embarrasses the government' and added that repeated controversies were providing unnecessary ammunition to the Opposition and distracting from the administration's achievements. On July 20, the purported video of Kokate playing an online card game on his phone in the Legislative Assembly was put out on social media by Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Rohit Pawar. However, Kokate denied the allegation and said, 'I was not playing Rummy… I was trying to watch YouTube to find out what was happening in the Lower House. Someone had downloaded the game on the phone, and I was just trying to skip it. The video might be from when I was trying to close it.' On Wednesday, Rohit Pawar claimed that Kokate played Rummy in the House for much longer than he had claimed. In a social media post, Rohit Pawar said, 'The Agriculture Minister was not playing Rummy for just 42 seconds but for 18 to 22 minutes. This has become clear from the probe report of the state legislature. This report has been submitted to the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. Will the government clarify about it?' A day later, Kokate was removed from his post.
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Maharashtra Minister Kokate Played Rummy For Over 18 Minutes During Assembly: Rohit Pawar
Last Updated: Maharashtra Minister Kokate faces criticism after a probe report allegedly confirmed he played Rummy on his phone during an assembly session. NCP MLA Rohit Pawar demands action. Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate is facing flak after a probe report allegedly confirmed that he was playing Rummy on his phone for about 18 to 22 minutes during a recent assembly session. The claim about the report was made by NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar, who has demanded a response from the state government over the revelation. According to MLA Rohit Pawar, the internal report of the Maharashtra legislature, which has been submitted to both Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, has contradicted Kokate's earlier defense. 'The agriculture minister was not playing cards for 42 seconds but for 18 to 22 minutes. This is the report of the state legislature which has been submitted to the CM as well as Deputy Chief Minister. Will the government clarify about this?" Rohit Pawar wrote in a post on X. Kokate, a leader from the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction), had previously denied the allegations, claiming that what appeared on his phone was merely a pop-up notification for an online rummy game, which he has skipped. The controversy began during the recently concluded monsoon session of Maharashtra assembly when Rohit Pawar posted a video on X that showed Minister Kokate apparently engaged in a mobile card game during proceedings in the legislative council and slammed him for not paying attention when crucial matters, like farmers' suicide, was being discussed in the House. After the revelation, Pawar has renewed his attack on the ruling coalition, questioning whether any action will be taken against Kokate. ' If the government fails to act, what right does it have to claim the legacy of Yashwantrao Chavan and Atal Bihari Vajpayee?" he asked. As of now, the state government has not issued an official statement on the matter. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Court seeks Ajit Pawar's party leader's reply in Anjali Damania defamation case
A Magistrate court in Mumbai has directed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - Ajit Pawar faction's spokesperson Suraj Chavan to file a response in a criminal defamation case filed against him by activist and whistleblower Anjali case, filed before the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate court, stems from remarks allegedly made by Chavan during a televised debate, which Damania claims were defamatory and intended to tarnish her to Damania's complaint, the comments followed her criticism of Ajit Pawar's 'pink campaign' — an outreach initiative targeting women voters ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Damania had posted her views on social media, which reportedly triggered backlash from NCP supporters. In response, Chavan made statements on a news channel that Damania alleges were false, baseless, and intended to discredit her public image and past activism. The complaint also asserts that Chavan's remarks were widely circulated on social media, exacerbating the damage to her reputation and standing in public has sought action under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertain to criminal defamation, and has urged the court to take cognisance of the offence and initiate appropriate legal proceedings. She has also requested that the police be directed to investigate the matter and collect relevant has to file a reply by September 8.- Ends
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Supriya Sule alleges ‘₹4,800-crore scam' in Ladki Bahin Yojana
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) accused the Maharashtra government of committing a '₹4,800-crore scam' in the Mukhyamantri Maajhi Ladki Bahin Yojana and demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged irregularities. Her allegations come two days after the Maharashtra government announced a temporary suspension of ₹1,500 monthly aid to 26.34 lakh beneficiaries following a verification drive that reportedly revealed the presence of thousands of ineligible beneficiaries, including 14,000 men, on the list. State Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare had said that the eligibility of the suspended beneficiaries would be verified by their respective District Collectors. Ms. Sule questioned the process through which the government had verified and identified the beneficiaries. 'The government rejects, on the smallest of pretexts, applications of people trying to access health, education, and crop insurance schemes. How did the system allow men to receive cash payments through direct benefit transfers?' she said. Pinning the blame regarding the 'irregularities' on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, the Baramati MP said, 'Men must take the responsibility. I won't accuse Tatkare as the decision was passed by the State Cabinet unanimously.' The Ladki Bahin scheme was launched in August 2024 ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election held later that year in November. The scheme was considered one of the reasons for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance's victory in the poll. However, after the election, the government started a scrutiny of the beneficiaries to weed out illegal beneficiaries. 'If the matter is not investigated, then we will raise the demand for a probe in Parliament,' the NCP (SP) leader told mediapersonsin New Delhi.
