New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India today rejected a petition challenging the election of Amritpal Singh, a radical Sikh preacher currently imprisoned under the National Security Act (NSA), as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab. The petition, brought before a bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Vishwanathan, questioned Singh’s eligibility under Article 84 of the Indian Constitution, which sets forth the criteria for parliamentary membership.
The petitioner, who is not a voter from Khadoor Sahib but claimed to be “deeply hurt” by Singh’s previous statements, argued that Amritpal Singh lacked loyalty to the Indian Constitution, rendering him ineligible for parliamentary office. The bench, however, directed the petitioner to file an election petition, noting that such matters require evidence and must follow prescribed legal procedures under the Representation of the People Act.
The court swiftly dismissed the petition, with the bench remarking, “This is a matter of evidence. There are prescribed procedures for this. Thank you. It is dismissed.”
Amritpal Singh, aged 31, who leads the ‘Waris Punjab De’ organization, was granted parole on July 5 to take the oath of office as a Lok Sabha member. Despite being detained in Dibrugarh district jail in Assam under allegations of involvement in activities threatening national security, Singh contested the parliamentary election as an independent candidate and emerged victorious from his constituency.
In a related development, Singh had previously approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking the quashing of all proceedings against him under the NSA, including his detention. He argued that his detention was “illegal” and demanded that it be overturned.
