NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar has publicly criticized Maharashtra's Agriculture Minister, Manikrao Kokate, for allegedly playing rummy on his mobile phone during a meeting. Pawar posted a video of Kokate playing the game on social media, accompanied by a sarcastic remark, "Jungle Rummy pe aao na Maharaj".

Pawar's criticism extends beyond just the minister's actions. He suggests that the incident reflects a broader issue of the ruling government not prioritizing critical agricultural concerns. He points out that numerous issues are pending, and farmers in the state are facing severe distress, with an alarming number of farmer suicides occurring daily. Pawar questions whether the government, seemingly lost in its own affairs, will hear the pleas of farmers demanding crop insurance, loan waivers, and fair pricing for their produce.

The NCP leader has used this incident to take a dig at the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), implying they are unable to act independently of their ally, the BJP, in the Maharashtra government. He suggests that the NCP can't do anything without consulting the BJP. Pawar's post included hashtags such as "#kadhishedivarayaMaharaj" (When will you come to the farm, sir?) and "#KhelThambaKarjmafiDya" (Stop the game, give loan waivers), highlighting his concerns.

This incident occurred against the backdrop of a turbulent monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature, which has been marred by controversies. Incidents such as the alleged assault by MLA Sanjay Gaikwad on a canteen worker, a video of Sanjay Shirsat going viral, and clashes between the supporters of Jitendra Awhad and Gopichand Padalkar within the Vidhan Bhavan have already fueled opposition criticism of the government. Furthermore, the opposition has been trying to corner the government on issues such as farm loan waivers and other problems faced by farmers.

In related news, a special court has recently included Rohit Pawar's name as an accused in the Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) Bank scam. The court has issued summons for Pawar to appear before it on August 21. Supriya Sule, a Member of Parliament from the same party, has alleged that Pawar is being targeted for raising his voice against the government. The ED's case stems from a 2019 FIR concerning the alleged fraudulent sale of cooperative sugar mills. The agency claims that Pawar's company, Baramati Agro Ltd, acquired the Kannad Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana (SSK) through manipulated auction practices. The court has observed a "pre-arranged scheme" between Baramati Agro and Hi-Tech Engineering Corporation to acquire the factory at a suppressed price and that Pawar "knowingly participated in this fraudulent acquisition".