Overview

• Manikrao Kokate, Maharashtra's Agriculture Minister, faced backlash after accusing farmers of misusing agricultural funds for personal expenses like weddings and deliberately defaulting on loans.
• His remarks, made during a visit to Nashik, quickly went viral on social media, amplifying criticism from farmer groups and opposition leaders.
• Kokate issued a public apology on April 6, stating that his comments were unintentional and misunderstood, but opposition leaders continue to demand his removal from the cabinet.
• The Maharashtra government has pledged to apologize to farmers in an effort to manage the political fallout from Kokate's controversial statements.
• Kokate has a history of making contentious remarks about farmers, including previously comparing them to beggars, further straining relations with the agricultural community.