The Punjab government has submitted an application to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking parole for Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh so that he can take oath as a newly elected member of parliament. According to reports, Amritpal Singh was voted to the Khadoor Sahib seat in the recent national elections but is currently detained in an Assam jail under the National Security Act.
Rajdev Singh Khalsa, a former MP and spokesperson for Amritpal Singh, stated that the state government first sent the parole request to the Amritsar district magistrate since the NSA case against the prisoner is registered there. The DM then forwarded the application to the Punjab home secretary and later to the Lok Sabha Speaker, who is yet to take a decision on granting parole.
Some rebel leaders visited Amritpal Singh's family home in Amritsar on Monday to discuss the matter. Under parliamentary rules, newly elected members have 60 days from the election result to take oath. However, Amritpal Singh is yet to do so owing to his incarceration.
The parole application seeks to have him released temporarily so he can complete the mandatory oath-taking ceremony and formally assume office. It remains to be seen if the Speaker will grant the request in view of Singh's controversial background and ongoing detention. The fate of the Khadoor Sahib constituency now depends on Om Birla's response in the coming days.
