MUMBAI, July 21 -- Agriculture minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate, who has been making controversial statements on farmers and government corruption, on Sunday found himself in another jam when a video of him playing an online card game on his mobile while sitting in the legislative council went viral. The minister, however, claimed that he was merely trying to view the assembly proceedings on YouTube when an advertisement of a card game appeared on screen, which he skipped within seconds. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar posted the video on Sunday morning along with a post. "Around eight farmers are dying daily by suicide, and the community is suffering from various problems," read the post. "But despite being in the ruling alliance, the NCP cannot take any decision without the BJP's permission. So the agriculture minister passes his time playing rummy, as he has no work to do. Could he listen to the woes of farmers demanding a crop loan waiver, crop insurance etc?" Leaders of the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi moved in quickly to attack Kokate. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called out the government for its "insensitive" governance and the behaviour of its ministers and MLAs, and also claimed that union home minister Amit Shah was to drop Kokate from the cabinet. "Hundreds of farmers have died by suicide, and farmers from Latur district walk to Mumbai for their problems," he said. "But instead of solving these issues, the agriculture minister is busy playing rummy." On Sunday Raut posted on social media that the removal of four ministers from Maharashtra was confirmed and a fifth was on the radar. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar declared that even as farmers kept dying by suicide, the agriculture minister was occupied with rummy. "This lying and cheating government has nothing to do with farmers," he said. "I urge farmers to teach the Mahayuti government a lesson." Shiv Sena leader and transport minister Pratap Sarnaik tried to cover for Kokate by saying that even film stars Salman Khan and Amir Khan played rummy. However, Kokate refuted the allegations and said that selective footage had been shared on social media to defame him. "I was not playing an online card game," he said. "I was sitting in the legislative council, and as the house was adjourned, I went to YouTube to check what was going on in the assembly. Suddenly an ad for an online card game called Junglee Rummy popped up on my screen. I skipped it within a few seconds but during that short time, someone shot that video. Doesn't Rohit Pawar get online advertisements on his mobile? I am very serious about my work in both houses of the legislature and am working hard for farmers." Kokate landed in a controversy in January 2025 when he made a statement that there was "3% to 4% corruption in every government scheme". In April, he again sparked a row when he accused farmers of deliberately defaulting on crop loans in the hope of getting a loan waiver, and then spending the money thus saved on weddings and engagements....