Mumbai: The legislature secretariat has submitted an internal inquiry report to State Council Chairman Prof. Ram Shinde regarding the viral video clip showing Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate allegedly playing rummy on his cellphone during House proceedings.
The report is believed to have concluded that the cameras installed inside the Council to record the proceedings did not capture any member of the House recording the incident. Instead, the clip appears to have been filmed by an outsider using a cellphone with HD quality from the visitors' gallery on the first floor, the secretariat is believed to have said in its report. Efforts to contact Prof. Shinde for confirmation of the report's contents were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar told mediapersons on Thursday that a decision on action against Kokate will be taken after meeting the minister next week and consulting CM Devendra Fadnavis. Pawar, who is the NCP president, urged ministers to be cautious about their public conduct and statements.
The clip, shared by NCP(SP) MLAs Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad on their social media handles, was recorded around 1.40 pm on July 10 when the Upper House was in session.
The video recording shows Public Works Depa rtment Minister Shivendrasinh Bhosale and BJP MLC Sadabhau Khot sitting besides Kokate. None of the members from the ruling side seated near Kokate are seen using their cellphones or recording during the session, sources said. Alth ough the minister has said he will write to the Chairman for a probe, no such request has been made so far. But Kokate can seek a deeper probe if the recording was by an outsider, sources told the FPJ.
