India, July 24 -- Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said he will meet agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) next week to hear him out on the controversy over the minister playing a card game on his phone in the legislative council, and then take a decision.

Pawar also emphasised that this was not the first time Kokate, a five-time lawmaker, had landed in the middle of a controversy and had received a warning.

"He is yet to meet me. The last time he did something like this, I asked him to be careful. After the second incident, I had warned him. Now, I will meet him either on Monday or Tuesday to hear his side of the story and then take a call after discussing it with the chief...