Don't know how to play online 'rummy': Minister Manikrao Kokate rejects resignation demand

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate on Tuesday said he plans to take legal action against opposition leaders for allegedly defaming him by circulating a video that claims he was playing 'rummy' on his mobile phone.

Kokate asserted he does not even know how to play online 'rummy' and said he will write to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde to investigate the video.

A political storm erupted after several leaders, including NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, posted a video clip of Kokate sitting in the legislative council.

Meanwhile, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad posted two videos, claiming Kokate was playing 'rummy' on his mobile phone during the recent monsoon session of the state legislature.

Amid the growing calls for Kokate's resignation, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare on Monday said the party head and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar will take a serious note of the video and talk to the minister accordingly. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also expressed his displeasure over Kokate's video clip.

Fadnavis also stressed that Kokate clarified he wasn't playing any game and that a notification had popped up on the screen of his mobile phone.

Facing flak, the minister on Sunday said he was only trying to skip the downloaded rummy game on his mobile phone in the legislative council, PTI reported.

"I don't know how to play online rummy. One needs an OTP and bank account needs to be linked to play the game. One can check if my mobile phone is linked to any such game. I was trying to skip a game which popped up on my screen for 10 to 15 seconds," the minister said on Tuesday.

Asked about demands for his resignation, he said, "What have I done to resign? Let the chief minister probe and make a statement in the Nagpur session of the state legislature and if I am guilty I will resign immediately."

Kokate said he will sue the opposition leaders who tried to "defame" him by circulating an incomplete video.

The assembly speaker and council chairperson will check what should be the conduct of members of the Lower House in respect of proceedings of the legislature's Upper House, he said.

"I have been an MLA for 25 years and I know the protocol of conduct in the legislature," he said, adding that a non-issue has been dragged on for so long.

(With inputs from PTI)