Condolences pour in over untimely death of Vijay Raghavendra's wife Spandana
Bengaluru: The untimely death of Spandana, the wife of renowned Kannada film actor Vijay Raghavendra, in Bangkok on Monday has left Karnataka in mourning. Dignitaries, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, have offered their heartfelt condolences to the grieving family.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his shock on Twitter, stating, "I am shocked by the untimely death of Spandana, wife of popular Kannada actor Vijay Raghavendra. I pray for Spandana's soul to rest in peace. I offer my condolences to the bereaved families of Vijay Raghavendra and BK Shivaram."
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar tweeted his condolences, saying, "I am deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of Spandana Raghavendra, wife of famous Kannada actor Vijaya Raghavendra, in Bangkok. They had met me recently and wished me well. I pray for Spandana's soul to rest in peace. My condolences to Spandana's family and friends."
Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa also posted his sympathy on Twitter, "The news of the untimely death of famous Kannada film artiste Vijay Raghavendra's wife Spandana has come as a shock to me and I pray for her soul to rest in peace. I also pray to God to give the family and friends of Spandana courage to bear the pain of separation. Om Shanti."
Labour Minister Santhosh Lad, expressing his condolences, tweeted, "Sad to hear of the news that Spandana, wife of famous Kannada film actor Vijay Raghavendra, passed away due to a heart attack. Let us pray to the Lord to give strength to Vijay Raghavendra and his family to recover from this shock."
Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan also expressed his grief on Twitter, "The death of Spandana, wife of popular Kannada artiste Vijay Raghavendra, has come as a shock and is saddening. I pray that the departed soul may rest in peace. May God bless Vijay Raghavendra and his family members with strength to bear this grief."
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tweeted, "I am shocked to hear the news of the death of famous Kannada film actor Vijay Raghavendra's wife Spandana. I pray that God may grant eternal peace to the soul of the deceased and strength to actor Vijay Raghavendra and B.K. Shivaram's families to bear the grief of the separation."
The sudden loss of Spandana has deeply saddened the people of Karnataka, and prayers are being offered for her soul to rest in peace, while support and strength are extended to the bereaved family during this difficult time.
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Shashi Tharoor calls for regulation and taxation instead of banning online gaming
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
