Synopsis
Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal has called for the immediate resignation of Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate after his conviction for fraud related to government flats. Sapkal argues that failing to remove Kokate would reflect poorly on democratic governance principles.Key Takeaways
- Immediate resignation demanded by Maharashtra Congress chief.
- Manikrao Kokate convicted for fraud involving government flats.
- Two-year prison sentence imposed on Kokate.
- Criticism of BJP's double standards in handling convictions.
- Citation of precedent set by Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Mumbai, Feb 21 (NationPress) The President of Maharashtra Congress, Harshwardhan Vasantrao Sapkal, has called for the immediate resignation of state Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, who has been convicted for committing fraud through the use of counterfeit documents to obtain two government quota flats.
“Should the state government fail to remove him, it would indicate a significant oversight. This would demonstrate that it is not being governed by democratic principles, ” remarked Sapkal, referencing the precedent set by former Railway Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, who resigned on moral grounds following a train accident.
“In our nation, resigning from a position has been a democratic standard when faced with accusations. In Kokate’s situation, given the conviction, he has no grounds to stay in office,” he stated, noting that Kokate has received a two-year prison sentence.
The leader of the state Congress asserted that the Agriculture Minister should have voluntarily resigned and that his Assembly membership should be revoked.
He criticized the ruling BJP and its allies for their inconsistent approach, highlighting that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, following his conviction in a defamation case and two-year jail term, was removed from his MP residence, and his Lok Sabha membership was annulled, while the state government hesitates to dismiss Kokate.
Sapkal further referenced the case of former Congress Minister Sunil Kedar, who lost his position as a Maharashtra MLA after being convicted last year in a 2002 bank scam.
In response to a recent attack from BSP chief Mayawati on Congress after Rahul Gandhi labeled her party a ‘B-Team’ of the BJP, Sapkal commented, “Mayawati is fighting for her survival. She has an alliance with the BJP and consistently expresses her frustration towards the Congress.”
On Thursday, the Nashik district court sentenced Agriculture Minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate and his brother Sunil to two years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each for their involvement in embezzling flats allocated under the Chief Minister's quota using fraudulent documents between 1995 and 1997. Both were subsequently granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 15,000.
The court has also allowed him 30 days to file an appeal in the Sessions Court. Kokate has expressed his intention to challenge the Nashik District Court’s ruling in the Bombay High Court.
Kokate, affiliated with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, was elected from the Sinnar Assembly constituency located in Nashik district.
