MUMBAI, July 21 -- Kokate's card game led to a violent spinoff on Sunday evening when NCP spokesperson Suraj Chavan, along with other local leaders and party workers, beat up an activist of Chava organisation for throwing playing cards on NCP state president Sunil Tatkare. Tatkare, who is on a Marathwada tour, was addressing the Latur media when Chava activists approached him and expressed anger at Kokate playing cards in the legislative council. Demanding that he be dropped from his post, an activist threw cards at Tatkare and said, "Ask your minister to play at home." After this act, Chavan and other NCP workers surrounded the activist and beat him up brutally. When the media questioned Chavan about this hooliganism, he justified the act. "That man used abusive language while speaking with our president and threw cards on him," he said. "We could not tolerate it and could not control our sentiments." Vijay Kumar Ghatge-Patil, the activist who was assaulted, termed the attack as one "on the sons of farmers". "Is this the culture of the NCP?" he asked. Balasaheb Javale-Patil, president of Chava, warned that the NCP leaders would pay a price for the assault. "In the video, we can see that our activist was speaking quietly with Tatkare and just gave him cards to protest against Kokate but he was bashed up. We will give the attackers a fitting response." When contacted Tatkare said that he was not there when the incident happened and did not support such acts. "I am unhappy about the assault," he said. "I do not support such things and appropriate action will be taken in this matter." Saurabha Kulshreshtha...