Mumbai Congress Chief Slams BJP Over Ministerial Reshuffle, Takes Swipe at Kokate’s ‘Rummy’ Controversy

Mumbai: In a scathing attack on the Maharashtra government, Congress State President Harshwardhan Sapkal mocked the recent reshuffle that saw Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate being reassigned to head the Sports Ministry. The move comes amidst an ongoing controversy after a viral video allegedly showed Kokate playing online rummy during a Legislative Assembly session.

Taking a sarcastic jibe, Sapkal said, “This year’s Chhatrapati Award should go to the great rummy player, Manikrao Kokate.” His comment underscores the opposition’s criticism that the government is rewarding misconduct instead of taking action.

The opposition, including Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), has accused the Eknath Shinde-led government and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar of protecting Kokate despite the outrage. They argue that giving him charge of the Sports Ministry sends a wrong message to youth and sportspersons across the state.

In a separate and more serious statement, Sapkal also addressed the growing politicisation of terrorism in national discourse. “Terrorism has no colour. In our country, the first major act of terrorism was the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi,” he said, drawing attention to ideological violence and historical accountability.