Chennai: Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu on Friday questioned the rationale behind state Governor R N Ravi returning a Bill banning online Rummy, saying the Raj Bhavan had approved the ordinance in this connection in October last.
Appavu wondered if the Governor had returned the Bill under some "pressure." The Raj Bhavan had returned the Bill banning online Rummy to the Tamil Nadu Assembly for its reconsideration and the ruling DMK has decided to take it up in the coming Assembly session.
Addressing reporters, Appavu referred to reports of online gaming federation members meeting Ravi earlier.
He said the Governor took different stands on the matter, approving the earlier ordinance but returned the Assembly bill, which according to Appavu, was unanimously adopted and done after much thought. He recalled that a panel under retired High Court judge, Justice S Chandru, was formed for the purpose.
"I don't know if he (Ravi) is under some pressure not to give assent to the Bill," the Speaker added.
The matter was very much under the state list and the state government can take a call on it, he added.
An ordinance prohibiting online gambling, wager-based online games of chance of Rummy and Poker was promulgated by Governor Ravi on October 1, 2022 and a gazette notification was made by the government on October 3.
The state Assembly met on October 17 last year for a brief session and the Bill was passed.
There seems to be no skill in playing such games and all the skill he could see was those behind the online games "looting" people, Appavu added.
He questioned Ravi's contention that the Legislative Assembly could not pass such a legislation.
Meanwhile, the DMK's mouthpiece 'Murasoli' slammed Ravi over the issue.
Ravi's move was reflective of the Centre's stand that online games were being seen as part of the start-up environment and valued around USD 200 bn, it claimed.
Meanwhile, the CPI state unit announced a protest against the Governor for "repeatedly insulting the Assembly's sovereignty."
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