CM decides not to act against errant mins, warns them instead

Mahayuti insiders say govt does not wish to play into the hands of the Opposition; no reshuffle on the cards

- Faisal Malik and Surendra P Gangan

While their respective party chiefs abstained from taking any action on them for courting controversies, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis shot a sharp message to errant ministers of the Mahayuti when he addressed all his cabinet colleagues on Tuesday, saying he would be “compelled to take action if anyone embarrasses the government by creating fresh controversies”.

Fadnavis's move came after deputy chief minister and head of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Ajit Pawar reprimanded agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, who was caught playing an online card game while attending proceedings at the legislative council recently. Pawar had summoned Kokate to his chamber at the Mantralaya “to point out how his action had maligned the government's image,” said a senior NCP leader.

“T have given you several chances in the past but this time things have gone far. The chief minister has expressed his dis-

pleasure to me,” Pawar told Kokate, compelling him to apologise.