Punjab government declines parole to jailed MP Amritpal Singh for attending Winter Session

The Punjab government has declined to grant temporary parole to jailed MP Amritpal Singh for attending the Winter Session of Parliament, which starts on December 1, The Indian Express reported on Thursday.

Singh, who won the general election in June 2024 from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib as an independent candidate, is lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act. He is the leader of the Khalistan separatist organisation Waris Punjab De.

Khalistan is an independent Sikh nation sought by some groups.

On November 21, the Punjab and Haryana High Court disposed of Singh's plea seeking parole and directed the state government to decide on the matter within one week, Live Law reported.

Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh rejected the parole request, citing potential law and order issues based on a report from the district police, Hindustan Times reported, quoting an unidentified official.

This is the second time the Punjab government has declined to grant parole to the MP. Although he was allowed four days' parole in July 2024 to take oath as an MP, Amritpal Singh has not attended any parliamentary session since his election.

The legislator had gone on a hunger strike on January 31 to demand his right to represent his constituency in Parliament.

On November 10, the Supreme Court refused to hear Singh's plea challenging his detention and instead directed him to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It also asked the High Court to decide the matter within six weeks.

The National Security Act allows the Centre or state government to order the detention of a person “with a view to preventing him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the defence of India, the relations with foreign powers, or the security of India”.

It may also order detention to prevent them from acting in any manner prejudicial “to the security of the State”, the “maintenance of public order” or the “maintenance of supplies and services essential to the community”. The police and district magistrates have the power to issue detention orders, subject to approval by the state government within 12 days.

Singh was arrested on April 23, 2023, in Punjab's Moga after he had been on the run for more than a month. He was flown to Assam on a special flight and sent to the Dibrugarh Central Jail.

The Punjab Police began cracking down on members of Waris Punjab De days after Singh and his supporters stormed a police station in Amritsar on February 23, 2023. This came after one of Singh's aides was arrested for alleged assault and attempted kidnapping.

Source: Scroll
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