Maharashtra minister caught 'playing Rummy' on phone during Assembly session, video goes viral

Maharashtra agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate from Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit) has once again landed himself in a controversy after a video clip of him allegedly playing rummy on his cell phone while legislative proceedings were going on has gone viral.

The video was tweeted by Rohit Pawar of the rival NCP(SP) faction. While it is unclear when the video was taken (monsoon session was over on July 18), Kokate was seen playing the online card game on his cell phone apparently during the current monsoon session of the legislative council.

Posting it on social media, Rohit said, "NCP that is in power cannot take any decisions without asking the BJP. Perhaps, that is why while eight farmers are committing suicides daily and while there are several farmers' issues unresolved, the agriculture minister is playing rummy."


The video has gone viral with Kokate claiming, "You can't play any kind of games when you are in the house, the cameras are always on. I was sitting in upper house after it was adjourned and was watching a stream of the proceedings in the lower house to see what was happening. While doing so, the rummy ad popped up on my screen. It took two to three seconds to skip that ad.