Federal Responsibilities: The Tug of War Over Online Gaming Regulations

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and DMK's Dayanidhi Maran engage in a heated debate in Lok Sabha about the regulation of online gaming sites. Vaishnaw emphasizes the federal structure granting states the legal authority over gambling laws, while Maran questions the central government's stance on its moral responsibility.

In a spirited exchange in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw defended the central government's stance on online gaming regulations, asserting that betting and gambling fall under state jurisdiction. This statement came in response to DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran's probing questions on the government's moral responsibility concerning gaming bans.

Maran further criticized the central government's approach, suggesting it was shirking its duties while the Tamil Nadu government had already taken steps to ban online gaming. However, Vaishnaw refuted these claims, urging respect for the federal structure as laid out in the Constitution, which assigns gambling laws to the states.

Highlighting action already taken, Vaishnaw revealed that 1,410 online gaming sites have been banned following complaints and mentioned that further action can be pursued under Section 112 of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

(With inputs from agencies.)