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Lalu Prasad questions Modi’s silence on reservation issue
Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue of reservation for Dalits and OBCs after RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat demanded a review of the policy.
Lalu Prasad made these comments ahead of Modi’s visit to Bihar to address four rallies on Thursday.
“Why has Modi remained silent on the reservation issue after the RSS chief demanded to end it. He should have either condemned the statement or provided a clarification on his stand,” Lalu said at a press conference here on Thursday.
Lalu said if Modi is not in support of reservation, he is a “nakli” OBC.
He said reservation should be in proportion to the population of Dalits and OBCs. “We are looking for an increase in reservation and RSS is conspiring to end it, we will not allow it.”
Lalu also targeted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah. “Shah is dreaming of becoming Prime Minister by pushing back Modi.”
He described the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a factory which produces and spreads hate in the country. “The RSS agenda is to keep Dalits and OBCs as slaves.”
Lalu also questioned the BJP’s development agenda in the polls. “Why has BJP promised to distribute TVs, laptops and scooties if the party is sure of development. BJP is trying to bribe people for votes.”
He cautioned people that Modi has betrayed the people by failing to fulfil any of the promises he made during the last Lok Sabha polls. “BJP has been using money power in Bihar polls like never before. The party has deployed dozens of choppers, hundreds of its leaders have booked costly hotel rooms.”
Polling to the 243-member Bihar assembly will take place in five phases between October 12 and November 5. Counting of votes is slated for November 8.
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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