AIADMK leader Edappadi Palaniswami took to social media on Monday to slam the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu over electoral bonds.
Palaniswami said DMK had received funds through electoral bonds from Future Gaming, a company which was into lottery and “gambling”. “It is a matter of shame that the DMK, which pretended to act against online gaming and introduced a weak legislation, received funds from a gambling company that put lives at risk,” he stated.
AIADMK leader went on to write, “The AIADMK governments in the past banned the lottery business and online gambling in the interests of the people. But the DMK government enacted a toothless legislation to ban online gambling and, on the other hand, received donations from the very company involved in gambling business. It is indeed a shame. The people of Tamil Nadu will teach the DMK a befitting lesson in the Lok Sabha elections.”
DMK’s TR Baalu replied to Edappadi Palaniswami’s criticism and said that the DMK had been transparent in its disclosure about the donations it had received to the Election Commission of India. Baalu added, “It was the DMK government that enacted the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gaming Act after the Madras High Court said that the law enacted during the Palaniswami-led AIADMK regime for the purpose was illegal.
To delay the law, Governor RN Ravi returned the bill. We sent it back and got approval. Governor Ravi even met the owners of online gaming companies. Did Palaniswami condemn the governor then?” He also said no concessions were given to Future Gaming despite the donation.
Future Gaming is owned by ‘Lottery King’ Santiago Martin. Martin has been under the scanner of investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation since 2016 for alleged lottery fraud in several states.