India, Aug. 1 -- Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate, marred by controversy after being caught on camera playing an online card game in the assembly and his disputed comments about the farmers, has been moved from Agriculture to the Sports and Youth Welfare Ministry, media reports said.

Dattatraya Bharane has been appointed the new Agriculture Minister.

The decision was apparently taken after a meeting between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Ajit Pawar.

Kokate belongs to Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party.

But it was his comment on farmers that had irked the Chief Minister.

Kokate had made a controversial statement a few months ago while talking about the government's crop insurance for farmers.

When ...