Thanthai Periyar Dravidian Kazhagam (TPDK) members gathered today at Post Office Headquarters with packages of ashes to be sent by mail to Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. The move was made as a protest against him for rejecting a bill that would have outlawed online gambling.

The decision to deliver the ashes to Governor Ravi was done as a way to remind him that he was also responsible for the deaths of the people playing online rummy. Ashes from a few families of the 42 people who died as a result of online gambling, according to Jana, a TPDK cadre, were allegedly combined in the packets. Jana said, “This is a protest against Governor Ravi, holding him responsible for their deaths.”

According to TPDK chief Anoor Jagadeeshan, the deaths were mostly of common peoples with regular jobs. The protests are not done for benefit of a single political party, this is done keeping the safety of people in mind that are living in Tamil Nadu.

“So far, 42 people have died by suicide because of online rummy. The Governor is responsible, as a mark of tokenism we have collected sample ashes of 4 people who died & will send this via post to Raj Bhavan,” said Jagadeeshan.

Governor Ravi recently returned The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022 back to the state government without giving his assent, while claiming that the state does not hold the authority to pass such a bill.

Law minister S Regupathy clarified that the government holds the authority to pass the bill. And the recent cabinet meeting decided to re-enact the bill and send it back to the Governor for his assent. According to the law, the Governor must give his assent this time around.