The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has the authority to re-enact the Online Rummy Prohibition Act, according to Speaker M. Appavu, who made this claim one day after Ravi returned the TN Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill.

“I don’t know what Law the Governor is using to say that the Assembly doesn’t have the power to ban online Rummy. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly can re-enact the Online Rummy Prohibition Act. I think he should have used the right words,” Appavu said, speaking to reporters.

He went on to call online rummy not a ‘skill’ game but a ‘kill’ game, saying that the Governor was under some pressure not to approve the decision passed by the Assembly.

In the meantime, the State government decided to approve a bill again and present it to Governor R N Ravi once more for his approval during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday that was headed by Chief Minister M K Stalin.

Law minister S. Regupathy questions the Governor’s reasoning for not giving his consent to the online gaming ban bill despite all of his queries being answered.

Responding to the Governor’s statement about the state not having the authority to pass a bill of that kind, Regupathy said that the court dismissed the earlier bill as the reasons were unacceptable. The court asked to make a new bill, which made it apparent that the Assembly has the authority to draft such a Bill.

Regupathy further reassured that the bill would again be presented in the assembly and sent to the Governor. This time, under Article 200 of the Constitution, the Governor must give his assent.

The bill was introduced in 2022 and sent to the Governor for assent. The Governor, who readily consented to the emergency ordinance, withheld the bill for more than four months without assent.