Guv was 'under pressure' to reject Bill banning online Rummy: Tamil Nadu Speaker M Appavu

Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu on Friday said Governor R N Ravi could have avoided the observation that the House didn’t have “legislative competence” to pass a Bill banning Online Rummy, while returning the legislation. The observations by the Governor doesn’t bode well for the sanctity of the House of elected representatives of the state, Appavu added.

He also suggested that he strongly felt that the Governor was “under pressure” to reject the Bill as he gave his approval to the Ordinance on the same subject in October 2022.

The Speaker also questioned the Governor for approving the ordinance on the issue but keeping the Bill with him for four months and then returning it to the Assembly. Briefing reporters on the issue, Appavu referred to discussions in Parliament on the issue of banning online rummy and regulating online games during which an observation was made by the government that this was a “kill game” and not a “skill game.”

Read | Why did you give consent to Ordinance: DMK asks Governor on online Rummy

“The Governor should have read the observations made by Union Ministers in Parliament before returning the Bill to the Assembly. It looks like the Governor wanted to approve this legislation, but I believe the Governor was under pressure from some quarters. He (Governor) also met members from the E-gaming federation,” Appavu said.

He also sought to know how the Governor concluded that the legislature didn’t have the rights to draft the Bill. “He should have avoided the word. It raises a question mark on the sanctity of the House. Will the Governor clarify under what law is the legislature wrong in passing the Bill?” he asked.

Article 200 of the Constitution says the Governor can approve a Bill, seek clarifications, send it to President if warranted, or withhold it, Appavu said, asking Ravi to read the brief given to Governors. The Speaker said the Bill was drafted after due consultations by a team headed by Justice (retired) K Chandru.

Highly placed sources told DH that the Governor returned the Bill on the grounds that the state had “no legislative competence” over the issue of imposing a ban on online gambling. A source in the know said the Governor, who approved the Ordinance in October, is now raising questions over the Bill.

The Bill had said no online games provider shall provide online gambling service or allow playing of any online game of chance specified with money or other stakes or playing of any other online game in contravention of the regulations, in any form.