Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh will not be allowed to attend the upcoming winter session of Parliament, as the Punjab government has denied his request for temporary parole. The decision was taken on the basis of reports submitted by senior district officials, including the Deputy Commissioner and the SSP of Amritsar, who warned that his release could pose a risk to law and order.
Amritpal Singh, currently lodged in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking permission to attend the Parliament session scheduled from December 1 to 19. The High Court directed the state government to take a decision within a week.
His father, Tarsem Singh, said the parole request was made solely so that the MP could raise issues related to Punjab and the Sikh community in Parliament. He claimed the family never sought parole for personal reasons. He also alleged that the government was attempting to suppress the “true voice of Punjab” by preventing his son from attending the session.
Sources said the state government relied heavily on the district administration’s report, which stated that Amritpal’s release could lead to a disturbance of peace. Amritpal’s petition had cited Section 15 of the NSA, which allows parole under special circumstances. Earlier, the Supreme Court had transferred his plea to the High Court.
During the hearing, the court asked Senior Advocate R.S. Bains, representing Amritpal, what issues the MP intended to speak on if allowed to attend Parliament. Bains said Amritpal would speak on matters such as flood relief in Punjab.
The Centre’s counsel argued that only the state government was empowered to grant such permission, and that Amritpal had already submitted an application to the state authorities and the District Magistrate.
The Punjab government, however, initially maintained that the representation filed by Amritpal did not meet the format of a formal application. The High Court rejected this reasoning and directed that it should be treated as an application, following which it ordered the state to take a decision.
Reacting to the government’s refusal, Amritpal’s father accused the administration of making “fabricated” claims about law and order. He said that stopping an elected MP from presenting his views in Parliament was a “dangerous sign for democracy.”
He also alleged that instead of addressing key issues such as drug abuse, unemployment and unrest in educational institutions, the government was targeting his son politically.
Amritpal Singh had filed his plea last week, and despite being in preventive detention since April 2023, he won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Khadoor Sahib with a margin of nearly two lakh votes and represents around 19 lakh constituents.
His petition urged the central and state governments to either grant him parole or make arrangements for his personal presence during the Parliament session.