Indiscipline will not be tolerated, have warned all ministers to behave: Fadnavis

On late Thursday night, Kokate’s portfolio was changed to Youth Welfare, Sports and Minority Development, which was earlier handled by NCP minister Dattatraya Bharne. Bharne was given the responsibility of the Agriculture department.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had given a letter for the change of portfolios to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday morning. Kokate had landed in controversy after a video of him playing a card game on phone during the monsoon seesion of the Legislative Council surfaced last month and the opposition demanded his resignation from the post.

“After the incident, there was anger all over. All three of us discussed the issue and decided to change the portfolios,” said Fadnavis. When asked about possible changes in future as a number of Shiv Sena ministers too have landed in serious controversies, the CM said that no such move has been planned as of now.

Meanwhile, Kokate said he was happy with his new assignment as sports and youth welfare minister.
“The decision taken by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister (Ajit Pawar) is acceptable to me. My journey will continue,” he said while talking to reporters on Friday.

Stating that Bharne, who is the new agriculture minister, is a ‘farmer’s son’, Kokate said, “Since this department has been entrusted to him (Bharne), it will get justice. Whenever I need help, I will take Datta Bharne’s support. I am not upset, I am very happy.”

The opposition, which had been aggressively demanding Kokate’s resignation, ridiculed the government decision of giving him the ‘sports’ portfolio. “Is it that he is good at playing rummy on phone that the government has decided to give him a Sports department with Youth Welfare? Will he be now telling youth the benefits of playing cards to gain employment and earn money?” asked Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal.

Lok Sabha MP and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Supriya Sule asked whether the government wants the youth of Maharashtra to have idols like Kokate.

(With inputs from PTI)