The National Security Act (NSA) detention of pro-Khalistan ideologue Amritpal Singh, elected Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib constituency in the recently-concluded polls, has been extended by a year, sparking uncertainty over his temporary release for taking oath in the Parliament.
Amritpal Singh, along with his nine associates, remained detained in Dibrugarh jail in Assam, despite securing a resounding victory in the Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib by securing more than four lakh votes and winning with the highest margin in Punjab.
Notably, the Punjab Government has issued the order extending their detention under the NSA just a day before the results were declared on June 3.
Sources close to Amritpal Singh’s family and legal team expressed surprise and disappointment over the extension, noting their efforts to shift him to Punjab ahead of the oath-taking ceremony.
His family has been making attempts to relocate Amritpal to Punjab, and eventually decided to field him as a candidate in the Lok Sabha elections, leading to his surprising and significant victory.
In an unexpected turn of events, Amritpal’s electoral win in Khadoor Sahib was marked by a decisive margin of 1,97,000 votes. The electorate of Khadoor Sahib overwhelmingly rejected traditional parties, showing a strong preference for Amritpal despite his ongoing detention.
The NSA allows for the detention of individuals without formal charges for up to 12 months, and Amritpal Singh’s detention has now surpassed one year. His victory in the elections, securing a significant margin of 1.97 lakh votes, has added to the controversy surrounding his detention under stringent security laws.
Amritpal’s extended detention under the NSA has also cast a shadow over his parliamentary debut, triggering debates on civil liberties and political representation. As Punjab grapples with this development, stakeholders await further legal and political responses amidst ongoing concerns about democratic principles and individual rights.
Reacting to the development, Amritpal’s father said: “It is shameful that an elected MP, who won by a record high votes in Punjab, is being labeled as a danger to the people, to Punjab, who elected them as their representative.”
Talking about an extension in detention by a year, he said: “There is no such provision in the law as such…I don’t know under what rules the Government is acting and taking such decisions.”
On future course of action, he said: “We got to know about this only today…We have talked to our counsel and will fight it out legally otherwise we would chalk out ways to register a peaceful agitation at the national level also, if needed.”
