Feature
Raj Thackeray appeals for opposition unity to make ‘Modi-mukt Bharat’
Mumbai: Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray today called for opposition unity and a “Modi-mukt Bharat” by 2019.
Addressing party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, Thackeray said, “The country is fed up with the false promises made by Narendra Modi and his government.”
All opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure “Modi-mukt Bharat”, he said, reminding the audience of BJP’s “Congress-mukt Bharat” slogan.
“India got its first Independence in 1947, second in 1977 (after the post-Emergency elections), and 2019 can bring a third Independence if India becomes `Modi-mukt’,” the MNS chief said.
If the Modi government was ousted and an inquiry is ordered into demonetisation, it (the note-ban) may turn out to be the biggest scam ever since 1947, he said.
Quoting a report of ISRO, Thackeray said, “A large scale desertification of Maharashtra is going on due to depletion of groundwater. After Rajasthan, our state has reported the second highest rate of desertification in country.”
Saying this, he went on to question Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s claim of digging of 56,000 wells in the state.
He was in favour of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but it should not be used as an election issue, he said.
“The Babri Masjid demolition case is in the Supreme Court and it will be deliberately discussed in the coming days to instigate communal riots,” he said.
“Ram Mandir should be built, but it should not be used as an election plank to divide the society and win votes,” he said.
In a dig at prime minister Modi’s foreign tours, Thackeray said Modi was apparently visiting foreign countries to get “flour for Pakoda” as his tours haven’t fetched any investments.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray calls for opposition unity to make ‘Modi-mukt Bharat’
The MNS chief also said that films such as “Toilet Ek Prem Katha” and “Padman” were a covert propaganda for government schemes.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who starred in both the films, was trying to walk in the footsteps of yesteryear actor Manoj Kumar, popularly known as `Bharat Kumar’, he said.
“But Akshay Kumar is not even an Indian citizen. He holds a Canadian passport and his Wikipedia profile describes him as Indian-born Canadian actor,” Thackeray said.
Taking a potshot at chief minister Fadnavis, who recently featured in a video song about river conservation, the MNS chief said, “There are so many problems in the state, but apparently the CM is busy singing songs.”
Thackeray also questioned the government’s decision to accord state funeral to Bollywood actor Sridevi after her death last month.
“Sridevi was a great actor, but what had she done for the country so that her body should have been wrapped in the tricolour?” he asked.
Media may have covered her funeral extensively at government’s behest to divert people’s attention from the Nirav Modi-Punjab National Bank scam, he said.
The government is trying to control media, judiciary and institutions like CBI, Thackeray said, alleging that media is under tremendous pressure from the government.
Incidentally, Raj Thackeray had met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar yesterday ahead of today’s rally.
He, however, described the meeting at Pawar’s residence in south Mumbai as a courtesy call.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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