Punjab sends plea for Amritpal Singh’s oath to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

The Punjab Government has sent an application to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for grant of parole to National Security Act detainee Amritpal Singh to take oath as Khadoor Sahib MP even as people in his constituency feel he should be released and allowed to discharge his duties as an elected public representative.

‘Will be rejected if he fails to deliver’

He should be given a chance to work for society. If he fails to live up to the expectations of people, he will be rejected in the next elections. A Bundala village resident

Rajdev Singh Khalsa, a former MP and spokesperson for Amritpal, said an application had been moved to the Amritsar District Magistrate for grant of parole as the case was registered there. “The DM forwarded the application to the Punjab Home Secretary, who further sent it to the Lok Sabha Speaker,” he said, adding “an elected member has 60 days to take oath. The Speaker is yet to take a call on the application”.

Pro-Khalistan leader’s supporters feel he should get an opportunity to serve his duties and “bust the image of an anarchist”. They are, however, reluctant to discuss the contradictory stand Amritpal took by contesting the LS poll despite having claimed that he did not have faith in the Indian Constitution.

“If he fails to live up to the expectations of the people, he must, like other politicians, face defeat in the next elections,” says Jaspreet Singh, a resident of Bundala village in Jandiala Guru constituency.

“I feel he has been demonised. He had been highlighting the problems of people. The government should give him a chance to see whether he works for society or not,” he says.

In Tarn Taran Assembly segment, a section feels Amritpal’s should be given a chance to fulfil his promises on drugs and betterment of youth, irrespective of his political ideology or how is perceived as a national security threat.

“This is not the first time a pro-Khalistan leader has been elected as MP. In 2022, Simranjit Singh Mann won the Sangrur bypoll. Amritpal polled over four lakh votes. He may prove better than others who after taking oath indulge in crimes like drug trade,” claims Harpreet Singh of Nonne village in Tarn Taran. Manjinder Singh, a supporter at Khabbe Dogran village, says: “We are concerned about youth losing lives to drugs. Amritpal was vocal about driving youth away from drugs. It will be interesting to see him in a new avatar, if freed.”