He Is Insulting System Farmers Of M’rashtra: Supriya Sule Slams Manikrao

Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) MP Supriya Sule on Saturday strongly criticised Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate for calling the state government a “beggar.”

Sule said such remarks insult farmers and damage Maharashtra’s image, and demanded his resignation.

Speaking to ANI, Supriya Sule said, “It’s very unfortunate. He is consistently damaging Maharashtra’s reputation by insulting farmers and calling the government a beggar… Even if you are in opposition, it’s not appropriate to compare the government to a beggar. We are proud Maharashtrians and Indians. We will not tolerate this. He must resign because he is insulting the people, the system, and farmers.”

Earlier on July 20, after attending the all-party meeting, Sule called for the resignation of Maharashtra’s Agriculture Minister, Manikrao Kokate, following the release of a video showing him playing rummy on his mobile during a session of the state legislature.

Sule criticised the minister, pointing out that while 750 farmers had committed suicide in the past three months, the minister was engaged in playing games.

She urged the Chief Minister to take action and remove him from his position if he does not resign.

Speaking to the reporters, Supriya Sule said, “A video of the Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra has come out. When the House was in session and the debate was underway, he was playing rummy on his mobile…750 farmers have committed suicide in three months and the Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra is playing these games. He should resign for this dirty act; otherwise, the Chief Minister should remove him.”

Sharing the video, Rohit Pawar criticised the minister for his lack of attention to the state’s pressing agricultural issues.

In a post on X, Rohit Pawar wrote, “Since the Nationalist faction in power cannot do anything without consulting the BJP, even with countless agricultural issues pending and 8 farmers committing suicide daily in the state, the Agriculture Minister, with nothing else to do, seems to have time to play rummy.”

He also urged the government to listen to farmers’ demands for crop insurance, loan waivers, and price support, and also asked, ‘Will these ministers ever hear the desperate plea of farmers?’

“Will these misguided ministers and the government ever hear the desperate plea of farmers demanding crop insurance, loan waivers, and price support: “Come to the fields of poor farmers sometimes, Maharaj”?,” the post reads. (ANI)