Lucknow(PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday named actor Kangana Ranaut as the brand ambassador of its ambitious 'one district-one product' programme.
The actor met Chief Minister Adityanath at his official residence here.
The UP government has launched the one district-one product (ODOP) programme with the aim to create product-specific traditional industrial hubs across 75 districts of the state.
In a tweet , Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal said, "Famous actress Kangana Ranaut met...Chief Minister of UP, who presented her with an ODOP product. Kangana ji will be our brand ambassador for the ODOP."
According to a senior official, the actor praised the works being done by the chief minister during the meeting.
The CM requested her to pay a visit to Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Famous Actress Kangana Ranawat met @myogiadityanath Hon’ble Chief Minister UP, who presented her with an @UP_ODOP product. Kangna ji will be our Brand Ambassador for ODOP @CMOfficeUP pic.twitter.com/XUJTiStRqv
— Navneet Sehgal (@navneetsehgal3) October 1, 2021
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New Delhi(PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday criticised the government’s move to ban online money gaming, warning that such a step would only push the industry underground and strengthen criminal networks.
He also said he had not studied the three Constitution amendment bills seeking to provide a framework for the removal of prime ministers, Union ministers, chief ministers and state ministers detained on serious criminal charges in any detail.
“On the face of it, it is difficult to say it has any problem, but obviously if anyone does something wrong they should not be a minister anyway. I don’t know if there is any other motive,” he remarked.
Discussing the bill seeking to prohibit and regulate online gaming introduced in the Lok Sabha, he said, "I had written a very long article on the argument that by banning online gaming we are simply driving it underground, whereas it could be a useful source of revenue for the government if we legalise it, regulate it and tax it."
He added that many countries have studied the issue in detail and concluded that regulation and taxation can generate funds for social causes, while bans merely enrich “criminal mafias”.
In a post on X, Tharoor recalled that he had “gone on record in 2018 urging the government to legalise, regulate and tax online gaming, rather than drive it underground by banning it, which will merely enhance the profits of the mafia”.
“It’s a pity that the government seems to have derived no lessons from the experience of other countries that have considered this issue,” he wrote.
He added that the bill should at least have been referred to a parliamentary committee “to consider all the pros and cons before rushing it into law”.
The proposed bill prohibits online money gaming and its advertisements, prescribing imprisonment or fines, or both, for violators. It differentiates such games from eSports and online social games, while calling for their promotion.
1/2 I went on record in 2018 urging the government to legalise, regulate and tax online gaming, rather than drive it underground by banning it, which will merely enhance the profits of the mafia. https://t.co/KYi2aTxDQQ
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 20, 2025