Feature
Raj Thackeray calls ‘Shameless’ to Modi-Shah for seeking votes in name of jawans
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on today appealed to people to ensure “disappearance” of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and BJP president Amit Shah from the political scene of the country for spreading “lies” and “causing” communal disharmony.
Addressing a poll rally in Solapur district of Maharashtra, he called the prime minister “shameless” for seeking votes in the name of jawans without acknowledging their sacrifice.
In controversial remarks, he asked the people gathered at the rally to accept money if offered to them by those who are “looting” the country.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is not contesting the Lok Sabha elections, but Thackeray has been addressing rallies in support of Congress-NCP-led alliance candidates, who are pitted against the BJP-Shiv Sena combine.
“I am here to wake all of you up against the tactics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.
“The kind of lies they have spread and caused communal disharmony, you should ensure they both get disappeared from the political horizons of this country,” he said.
In a veiled attack on the Shiv Sena, he said, “Those who are helping Modi-Shah should also not be spared. You should not vote for those who help Modi-Shah stay in power.”
Raj Thackeray appeals people to ensure disappearance of Modi-Shah from politics:
Thackeray, however, did not mention the Shiv Sena, his former party, or any of its leaders in his speech.
After showing a video of Modi, where he purportedly claims a trader takes more risk than a jawan, Thackeray said, “The prime minister seeks votes from people in the name of jawans, but makes such remarks about their sacrifice. I have so far not seen a more “shameless” prime minister than him.”
“They are trying to fool you by raising non-issues ahead of elections. If they distribute money, accept it. This is the right time to loot them.
“You cannot imagine the way our country is being looted by these people, but accept their money and do not look back,” Thackeray said.
He claimed Modi and Shah are pushing the country on path of authoritarianism like the current regime in Russia where power is concentrated in the hands of 7-8 people.
Thackeray also exposed the Maharashtra government’s claim of a village in Amravati district – Harisal – being the first digital village in the country.
However, a video procured by MNS workers shows no digital services such as Internet connection and card swapping for financial transaction, among others, are operational in the village, he said.
“What Adolf Hitler did to Germany in 1930s is going to be replicated in India if Modi and Shah return to power,” Thackeray warned. Solapur will vote on April 18.
Entertainment
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
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.