The Governor of Tamil Nadu, R. N. Ravi, came under fire from the state’s ruling party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Wednesday for “delaying” his approval to a bill outlawing online gambling, alleging that this had caused “suspicion” among the public.

The Governor was criticized for “sitting on” the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022 from October 28 and for allowing an ordinance made in this regard to expire, in an editorial published in Murasoli, the DMK’s official publication. On October 19, the Assembly had approved the bill.

The BJP, which had criticized the government earlier for delaying the introduction of the legislation to outlaw online gambling, was asked by DMK if they would now organize a demonstration against the Governor for delaying the bill’s passage into law.

“The delay by the Governor in giving his assent to the Bill has raised suspicion among people. The government sent an ordinance to the Governor on October 1, which he approved the same day. But the Bill which was sent to him on October 28 is still lying in his office. No explanation has been offered for the delay,” the editorial stated.

“It looks like the queries raised by him were just an excuse to delay his assent. They aren’t genuine queries. The intention seems to delay the assent,” the editorial further added.

Currently, the latest reason for conflict between the Governor and the DMK government is the non-assent for the bill that would have outlawed online gambling and regulated it in Tamil Nadu. The editorial went on to say further that it was his intention to find fault with the DMK government on a daily basis. The law was passed as a safeguard after the state learned about dozens of suicides by gamblers who lost money online.

The bill was created in response to recommendations made by a committee led by Justice (retired) K Chandru who 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.”

This was the second attempt by the TN government to outlaw online rummy. Previously, the AIADMK government attempted to ban online gaming activities in 2021 which was struck down by the Madras High Court.