Amritpal Singh requests High Court approval to attend Parliament sessions

Amritpal Singh, the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Khadoor Sahib in Punjab, who is currently imprisoned in Dibrugarh jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court with a petition.

He is requesting permission to attend the ongoing Parliament session and participate in the Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

In his petition, Singh has argued that his extended absence is preventing the voice of his 19 lakh constituents from being heard in Parliament. He has also claimed that his detention is politically motivated, designed to stifle his growing popularity.

Singh's detention order was first issued in March 2023 by the Deputy Magistrate of Amritsar and has since been extended on multiple occasions. A new detention order for March 2024 was issued citing social media activity and alleged contraband found in the jail as justifications. Singh, however, has labelled these reasons as weak and unconstitutional.

The Khadoor Sahib MP further argues that his detention infringes upon his constitutional rights and deprives his constituents of proper representation. As part of his legal challenge, he has requested the court to grant him interim release and make a swift decision on the matter.

On January 9, Singh's father, Tarsem Singh, voiced his concerns regarding the imposition of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against his son, accusing the government of conspiring to prevent the jailed MP’s family from launching a political party.

In an interview with ANI, he stated, "Now when the imposition of NSA on him comes to an end, they already imposed UAPA. Now when we are planning to launch a political party, it is a conspiracy to stop us. Bhagwant Mann's anti-Sikh mindset is being exposed. Without any proof or investigation, such things are being done to defame Amritpal."

The Faridkot Police Superintendent confirmed that UAPA charges had indeed been invoked against Singh.