KA Paul did the right thing

Many times, evangelist and politician KA Paul’s outspoken nature and dramatic persona pulled him into controversies, but he always used political platform to fight injustice. This time he raises serious alarm over online betting apps.

After a few YouTuber influences and bureaucrats tried their bit to fight against it, the addiction has still been causing severe financial distress among youth in every nook and corner of India. Easy access to unregulated online betting apps led to gambling addiction among youth.

Paul has lodged a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) contending that the betting apps have been causing significant harm to the youngsters eventually leading to financial distress and other psychological issues.

Over 1,000 students have committed suicide in Telangana alone, he mentioned in the PIL. Numerous celebs from Telugu cinema and Bollywood have promoted the betting apps online which left an excruciating pain among gullible people, he pointed out.

Paul sought a stringent action against online gambling and fantasy sports while seeking changes in the law to curb the betting menace. Stating that over 30 crore Indians suffered from the betting apps, the Evangelist said the current legal framework is insufficient to tackle illegal betting activity.

Acknowledging the gravity of the situation across the country, Justice Surya Kant took note of the challenges in implementing total ban on betting. He observed that legislative measures alone might not sufficient in eradicating the problem.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court bench has refrained from issuing notices to State governments as it would wait for the Centre’s response.