Feature
Azam Khan again faces fresh ban of 48-hours for second time in one month
Lucknow: The Election Commission recently imposed a fresh ban on Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan from campaigning for 48 hours for his provocative speeches against the local poll machinery and also making inflammatory communal remarks.
This is the second time this month that the EC has imposed a ban on him. The fresh ban will come into force at 6.00 AM on Wednesday.
Earlier he was barred from campaigning for 72 hours for his ‘khaki underwear’ jibe at BJP candidate Jaya Prada.
He was issued a show cause notice for making inflammatory remarks at various places in Uttar Pradeh in the past few days.
Giving instances of his remarks, the EC had said on one occasion, he had allegedly said that “fascists are trying to kill him”.
On another occasion, he had allegedly claimed that the prime minister has killed Muslims.
He had also allegedly said that criminals were occupying constitutional posts, in an apparent dig at Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh.
Fresh 2nd ban of 48-hours on Azam Khan for provocative speeches in one month:
The EC pointed out that FlRs have been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act against him in the cases.
The notice had also pointed out that the Supreme Court has noted that religion and caste cannot be used by anyone while making any statement during electioneering.
While this year’s two bans are pan India, Khan had faced a similar UP-centric ban in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls for his inflammatory remarks.
In his reply, Khan had apologised for his remarks, but the EC “strongly condemned” him and “warned” him from repeating “misconduct” in future.
Using its constitutional powers, the Commission barred him from holding rallies, campaigning, giving statements to media for the next 48 hours beginning 6.00 AM Wednesday.
The poll panel said he has violated the provisions of the model code dealing with making communal remarks and “intimidation” of voters.
The order did not specifically mention where he had made speeches against district poll machinery. Khan is a candidate from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.
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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