Determined to enact anti-rummy legislation, says Thangam Thennarasu

CHENNAI: State industries minister Thangam Thennarasu on Monday said that the Tamil Nadu government was determined to enact strong legislation for banning online rummy in the State.

Talking to media persons at DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam, Thangam Thennarasu accused former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami of attempting to create an impression that online rummy was flourishing in the State now, and said that the previous AIADMK regime had brought defective legislation. Taking exception to EPS’ statement that DMK regime was in nexus with the organisers of online rummy, the minister said that he could also allege that the AIADMK was in nexus and they had enacted a defective law, which did not stand subsequent judicial scrutiny.

“We are determined to completely ban online rummy in the State. We don’t want to do it in a haphazard manner. We are consulting legal experts. Tough law to ban online rummy would be enacted in the state soon, ” the minister added.

Remarking that EPS does not deserve to talk about drugs, the minister referred to the appearance of the former AIADMK minister and DGP for the Gutkha case hearing, Thangam Thennarasu said, “How can we discuss drugs without factoring in gutkha? People are aware of its prevalence in the ADMK regime. Ganja was uncontrolled in the AIADMK regime.”

As many as 90 persons have been detained under Goondas during Ganja crackdown in the State, Thangam said that EPS was aware of the enforcement in the incumbent regime, and yet he was leveling accusations because he views things with a jaundiced eye.

Comparing the murder, lock-up death, and robbery statistics of the one year DMK regime with the last year of the EPS regime, Thangam Thennarasu said that the people know who were appointed in crucial posts in the state police and whose diktats they had obeyed, especially in western Tamil Nadu during the previous AIADMK regime. But, police officers are working independently in the DMK regime and there are no communal clashes and violence.

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