TN Speaker suspects ‘pressure’ on Governor for ‘changing’ decision on Bill banning online gambling
The Hindu
Article 200 of the Constitution says whether the Governor has competence to comment on the legislative competence of the House: Appavu
Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu said on Friday that he suspected that there was “some pressure” on Governor R.N. Ravi following which he returned the Bill that proposed to ban online gambling and regulate online games. He pointed out that the Governor had himself promulgated an ordinance on the subject last year but chose to return the Bill, which was passed by the House with the same intent.
Speaking to reporters in his chamber on the Fort St. George campus, Mr. Appavu cited media reports on representatives from online gambling companies calling on the Governor and said it was not known what had transpired at their meeting.
To a query on who could have possibly been the source of the pressure on the Governor, Mr. Appavu said, “I don’t know who the owners are in touch with and from where did the pressure on the Governor originate from”. He said Law Minister S. Regupathy was made to wait for a long time before he was granted an appointment with the Governor.
Also read:‘Governor likely to give assent to Bill against online gambling after getting doubts cleared’
As for the remarks made by Governor Ravi questioning the legislative competence of the House in passing the Bill, Mr. Appavu said, “He should have avoided using such words. I don’t know if the Governor used it on being adviced by someone or whether it was his choice of words. Article 200 of the Constitution clearly says whether the Governor has the competence to comment on whether the House has the competence.”
On the Governor citing the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Liability and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to return the Bill, Mr. Appavu contended the Madras High Court had in a judgment in 2021 said the State government could come up with a fresh legislation.