Amritpal to write to Punjab govt seeking release to take oath as MP

Newly elected Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh will write to the Punjab government to seek temporary release or parole to take the oath, which is a constitutional requirement for all members of Parliament, his lawyer Imaan Singh Khara said on Saturday.

Khara said Amritpal will file the plea under Section 15 of the National Security Act (NSA). Section 15 deals with the temporary release of the person detained by the government for any specified period either without conditions or upon such conditions specified in the direction as that person accepts, and may, at any time, cancel his release.

“Under Section 15 of the NSA, Amritpal Singh is writing to the Punjab government seeking temporary release or parole for the oath-taking. First, it is the government’s prerogative to give him parole. If the government does not release him, we will move court,” Khara said.

Meanwhile, Amritpal parents met him in the Central Jail of Dibrugarh in Assam on Saturday. The radical Sikh preacher, along with his nine aides, has been detained in Dibrugarh jail under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) since March 2023.

The radical Sikh preacher, who heads the outfit ‘Waris Punjab de’ won the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat by 1,97,120 votes as an independent candidate, defeating Congress’ Kulbir Singh Zira, while AAP’s Laljit Singh Bhullar came third.

His father Tarsem Singh and his mother Balwinder Kaur were received at the airport by Amritpal’s wife Kirandeep Kaur and proceeded to meet the preacher at the Dibrugarh Central Jail. His mother was seen distributing sweets to the jail employees. She had also brought a new set of clothes and shoes for her son which she said would be ‘needed “for his oath-taking as an MP’’.

“It was a family meeting. Amritpal Singh is happy with the victory. He has thanked the voters who elected him and those who worked hard to campaign for him,” Tarsem told HT over the phone.

‘’We are happy that our son has won the elections. Our lawyers are working on the nitty-gritty regarding his bail or parole to take oath as an MP, and they will be the ones who can provide details,” his father added.

The other incarcerated MP-elect Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, who won from the Baramulla seat, has already approached a Delhi court seeking interim bail, or in alternative custody parole, to take the oath and perform other ancillary functions as a Member of Parliament. On Thursday, the court sought a response from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), scheduling the next hearing on Friday (June 7).

As per legal experts, once elected, to take the oath of office is a constitutional requirement for all members of Parliament.

“For this, the court may grant temporary bail to allow the elected representatives to attend the oath-taking ceremony in Parliament. Alternatively, the court can facilitate their swearing-in by sending them to Parliament in police custody only for the oath ceremony,” the legal expert added, pleading anonymity. (With inputs from agencies)