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Sakshi Maharaj threatens to quit BJP if Ram Temple not built before 2019
Lucknow: Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Sacchidanand Hari Sakshi aka Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday took on the Supreme Court over the delay in deciding on the Ram Janmabhoomi matter, saying when the court can take decisions on adultery and homosexuality, “why should it delay an issue which pertains to faith of millions of Hindus?”
Sakshi Maharaj, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Unnao, said whatever be the decision, the apex court should expeditiously adjudicate the matter.
In his demand for early construction of a grand temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, the firebrand leader told media persons that the Modi government should bring an ordinance for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. “When ordinance can be brought against triple talaaq, why not on the Ram temple?” he asked.
“I represent the ‘sant’ community in the Lok Sabha. I am an MP from the VHP quota, so why should I refrain from voicing my concerns and demands of the saint community? After all, the BJP is in power due to Lord Ram and blessings of millions of seers and saints,” he said.
The Unnao MP dared Congress President Rahul Gandhi to prove himself a devotee of Ram rather than just be “dramatic about it”. “When the government brings an ordinance, his true colours will be known to all,” he said.
He said the government has been apprised of the “anger” in the ‘sant community’ over the endless delay in deciding the Ram temple issue.
If Ram Temple not built before LS polls 2019, Sakshi Maharaj threatens to quit BJP:
The ‘sant’ community would converge at the Talkatora stadium in New Delhi on November 3-4 and would demand construction of the temple, he said, adding if the demand is not met, the community will start construction of the temple from December 6.
The BJP MP from Unnao threatened to quit the party if Ram Temple was not built in Ayodhya before the next general election.
“If Ram temple is not constructed before 2019 Lok Sabha Sabha elections, I will leave the BJP. I have full support of the seers, who want construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya so-on,” Sakhis said.
He further added that whatever he was today, was because of Lord Ram’s blessings. “Similarly, whatever stature BJP had attained today, is because of blessings of Lord Ram and contribution of seers of Ram Temple movement,” he said.
The Supreme Court is due to start day-to-day hearing on the matter from October 29.
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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