Minister Kokate’s viral rummy video sparks uproar amid rising online rummy addiction; 26-year-old Jay Jadhav’s ₹84 lakh debt story reveals the deep financial and emotional damage plaguing youth.
Solapur | July 24, 2025: A video of Maharashtra’s Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate playing online rummy inside the state legislature has gone viral, triggering public outrage and reigniting concerns over the widespread and destructive addiction to online gaming.
The footage, which captured the minister casually engaging with the gambling app during legislative proceedings, has not only raised questions about his conduct but also shed light on the devastating impact this addiction is having on youth across Maharashtra.
One of the most tragic cases is that of Jay Jadhav, a 26-year-old from Karmala in Solapur district, whose life has spiraled into debt due to online rummy. Jay, once a real estate businessman in Pimpri-Chinchwad, lost ₹23 lakh in the game. In desperation, he borrowed ₹20 lakh from friends and an additional ₹20 lakh by mortgaging his ancestral 1.5-acre farmland and his Scorpio vehicle—piling up a total debt of ₹84 lakh.
Jay, now financially and emotionally devastated, spoke out after seeing the minister’s video. “No one should take wrong inspiration from what they saw. Enough damage has been done. Stop before it’s too late,” he said, appealing to other youths caught in the web of this digital vice.
According to reports, the online rummy craze is pushing many youths into crippling debt, and in some cases, families are mortgaging farmland and assets to support the addiction. This incident has underscored the urgent need for stronger regulation and public awareness regarding online gambling platforms.
With this controversy now in the spotlight, citizens and activists are calling for both accountability from public representatives and decisive action to curb the influence of online betting platforms that are silently wrecking lives.
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