Agriculture Minister Under Fire for Gaming in Assembly Amid Farmers' Crisis

Maharashtra's political landscape is abuzz following the emergence of a viral video showing Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate playing a game on his mobile phone during an Assembly session. The incident, which has garnered widespread criticism, prompted Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar to launch a detailed inquiry, declaring the act of recording the video an 'insult' to the legislative body.

NCP-SP leader Rohit Pawar brought the video to public attention, criticizing the minister for his inattentiveness to the pressing agricultural concerns that plague the state, including the alarming rate of farmer suicides. In a post on social media platform X, Pawar highlighted that the Nationalist faction, in collaboration with the BJP, seems ineffective in addressing the multitude of unresolved agricultural issues, as evidenced by Kokate's leisure activity during crucial discussions.

Adding fuel to the fire, NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule called for Kokate's resignation, emphasizing the gravity of the situation with 750 farmer suicides reported in the past three months. Sule urged the Chief Minister to act decisively in removing Kokate should he not resign voluntarily, signaling significant pressure on the minister and the administrative machinery to respond adequately to the deteriorating agriculture sector.

(With inputs from agencies.)