The Tamil Nadu assembly on Thursday passed the bill to ban online gambling for the second time in six months and days after governor RN Ravi returned it, questioning the state assembly’s competence to frame a law on the subject.
The bill, titled Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022, was introduced in the assembly by chief minister MK Stalin.
“I stand in this House with a heavy heart. Forty-one people have died after losing money in online gambling,” Stalin told the assembly, referring to a youth who allegedly died by suicide after losing around ₹17 lakh in online gambling.
The youth had pleaded for banning online gambling in a purported suicide note he left behind. Another person, who also allegedly ended his life, also left a similar note.
“These deaths are happening in front of our eyes,” Stalin said. “This government, which has the law in its hands, has the duty and responsibility to stop this.”
The chief minister added that the state government has every right to “streamline, regulate and protect people” living within its jurisdiction. He even quoted Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur, who, in his reply to a query from DMK lawmaker SR Parthiban in Parliament on March 1, had said that state governments possess power to pass legislations on online gambling as it comes under the State List of the Constitution.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister added that the state government has every right to “streamline, regulate and protect people” living within its jurisdiction. He even quoted Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur, who, in his reply to a query from DMK lawmaker SR Parthiban in Parliament on March 1, had said that state governments possess power to pass legislations on online gambling as it comes under the State List of the Constitution.
{{/usCountry}}The assembly first passed the bill on October 19, 2022. The governor did not sign off on it for months and eventually on March 6, 2023, returned the bill, amid an ongoing tussle between the government and the Raj Bhavan.
After the bill was reintroduced, Stalin urged all political parties to support it. Following discussion, the bill was passed by voice vote and Speaker M Appavu declared it was adopted unanimously. The opposition AIADMK staged a walkout despite supporting the bill.
“This government cannot function without a conscience. One more life should not be lost and one more family shouldn’t be out on the streets because of the evils of online gambling,” Stalin said, adding that the government formulated the bill on suggestions based on a report submitted by a panel led by retired judge of the Madras high court Justice K Chandru.
As Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) floor leader Nainar Nagendran asked the House not to “attack” the governor in course of the debate since he had given his reasons for returning the bill, speaker M Appavu intervened to underline that no legislator criticised the governor and a few words considered to be critical of Raj Bhavan were expunged.
The speaker, however, reminded the assembly that the governor, who returned the bill, did sign off on the ordinance on October 1 last year. “Without changing a full stop or a comma, the House passed the same draft and sent it to the governor on October 19 (2022). Please keep that in mind,” Appavu said while looking at the BJP floor leader.
“It was unjust of the governor to return the bill,” said DMK’s organising secretary and water resources minister Durai Murugan. “The House has the right to criticise the governor,” Murugan said, adding that the legislators were not exercising the right at the speaker’s request.
The government also stresses that Ravi’s predecessor Banwarilal Purohit approved a bill on the same topic sent to him by the then AIADMK government in November 2020. The bill was struck down by the high court on account of some provisions but no questions about the assembly’s legislative competence were raised.