MUMBAI: Barely 24 hours after replacing Manikrao Kokate, shunted to another department for making a series of controversial remarks, the state’s new agriculture minister Dattray Bharne landed in hot water himself. Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Bharne embarrassed the state government while offering what many saw as dodgy advice to revenue officers in Indapur taluka in Pune on Friday.
“It is not those who play by the rules who are remembered, but those who break them for the greater good,” said the NCP leader and three-time MLA from the Indapur assembly constituency.
Bharne’s remark kicked up a row as he had been handed the agriculture department only a day earlier, ironically as a damage-control measure after Kokate had compared farmers to beggars, then called the state government a beggar, and was caught playing a card game on his mobile phone while the legislature was in session.
It seems Bharne, who was expected to restore the credibility of the agriculture department, has picked up right where his predecessor left off.
NCP president and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had to step in to defend his choice of Bharne as the new agriculture minister. Pawar claimed the remark was made before Bharne’s new appointment. He said, “To resolve an issue, if rules have become a barrier, we go out of the way in the larger public interest. While doing so, we only ensure that the decision should be within the framework of the law and the constitution.”
Pawar added, “Many times, the state government has the right to take a decision as a special case. When farmers are in trouble, don’t we take decisions in the cabinet by overlooking the existing rules,” he said.
Before being appointed agriculture minister, Bharne headed the sports and youth welfare and minority affairs departments. He is also considered a close aide of Pawar.
A few months ago, Kokate had called the state government a “beggar” while clarifying an earlier controversial statement comparing farmers to beggars. Fadnavis had expressed his displeasure for making irresponsible statements but it was ignored, for Kokate was then filmed playing a card game on his mobile phone in the state legislative council.
After being stripped of the agriculture portfolio, Kokate has been allotted the sports, youth welfare and minority affairs departments, previously held by Bharne.