© Provided by India Today Laws against farmers, minorities but not on online gambling: MK Stalin’s jibe at TN Guv, Centre

In a fresh salvo at Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and the Centre, Chief Minister MK Stalin said they would adopt contentious laws against farmers and minorities without delay but would block the state government from cracking down on the menace of online gambling. In an implicit jibe, CM Stalin also said that the Centre was “trying to convert” India into a homogeneous country. 

“The three farm laws which were against farmers will be implemented without delay. The Citizenship Amendment Act which is against the minorities will get assent without any delay. But they will take an exam like NEET and shatter the dreams of medical aspirants from poor families. They will impose Hindi. They will spread hate against people belonging to other religions. But if we bring a law to put an end to the menace of online gambling, they will try to block it,” CM MK Stalin said at the Coral Festival of the Indian Union Muslim Party. 

“One religion, one language, one culture, one election- People who are trying to convert India into a homogeneous country are against social justice and fraternity,” the Tamil Nadu chief minister said.

Governor RN Ravi has not approved the bill that sought to ban online gambling and the DMK has openly criticised his veto power on the subject. The DMK’s mouthpiece, Murasoli, carried an editorial criticising Governor Ravi under a piece titled ‘ “How many more lives will be lost?”. 

ALSO READ | Who’s Governor working for? DMK mouthpiece slams RN Ravi over online gambling bill

“They are not ready to even give assent to a bill banning online gambling. Four months after the bill was passed, the governor said the state government didn’t have the right to pass such a bill. I’m asking, is he functioning as a Governor for a state which has no right to even pass such simple legislation?” CM Stalin said. 

“He (Governor Ravi) sat on the anti-NEET bill for several months before he sent it to the President for assent. The bill regarding the appointment of vice chancellors to universities is put in cold storage. Is this the way a Governor functions?” he further said.

“The 2024 parliamentary elections is the chance to put a full stop to all of this. For that, all of us must be united,” the Tamil Nadu chief minister said. 

ALSO READ | Governors speak more, hear less: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin amid row over anti-gambling bill