Congress MLA Nana Patole was suspended from the Maharashtra legislative assembly for a day on Tuesday after he stormed the speaker’s podium during a heated protest. Following Question Hour, Patole, a former assembly speaker himself, demanded action against BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar and Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate for allegedly insulting farmers with their recent remarks.
Patole climbed onto the speaker’s podium and engaged in an argument with Speaker Rahul Narwekar, forcing the House to be adjourned for five minutes. When proceedings resumed, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned Patole’s aggressive behavior and called for an apology. Instead of backing down, Patole once again climbed the podium, reiterating his demand for action.
Speaker Narwekar then announced Patole’s suspension for the entire day, citing disorderly conduct. The uproar stemmed from Lonikar’s recent comments to farmers in Jalna district, where he said critics of his party should remember they receive benefits like clothes, shoes, mobiles, and money thanks to the government. Meanwhile, Kokate sparked outrage by suggesting farmers squandered loan waiver funds on weddings and criticized misuse of crop insurance payouts.
