‘I don’t know how to play online rummy’: Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate threatens to sue opposition leaders

Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate on Tuesday dismissed allegations that he played online ‘rummy’ on his mobile phone inside the legislative council and said he didn’t even know how to play the game.

Kokate, a Nationalist Congress Party (NC) leader who is in charge of the agriculture ministry, also threatened to take legal action against the opposition leaders for “defaming” him by sharing a video clip on social media.

The controversy began on Sunday when NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar posted on his X handle a video clip of Kokate sitting in the legislative council. On Monday, Rohit’s party colleague Jitendra Awhad posted two videos, claiming Kokate was playing 'Junglee rummy' on his mobile phone during the recent monsoon session of the state legislature.

The incident snowballed into a political controversy with the opposition demanding his resignation from the cabinet. The NCP, meanwhile, tried to distance itself from the row, saying party head and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar would talk to Kokate.

As the controversy raged, Kokate clarified that he was just trying to skip the downloaded rummy game on his mobile phone in the legislative council.

On Tuesday, the minister reiterated his claim and said he doesn’t even know how to play the game.

"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," he told reporters.

Asked about the opposition’s demand for his resignation, Kokate said: Let the chief minister probe and make a statement in the Nagpur (winter) session of the state legislature, and if I am guilty, I will resign immediately."

The minister said he would  issue show cause  notices to the opposition leaders who “maligned” his image.