The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea challenging the election of radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh as a Member of Parliament from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib constituency, despite him being incarcerated.
The petitioner argued before a bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan that Article 84 of the Constitution, which outlines qualifications for Parliament membership, requires that a candidate must be an Indian citizen.
The petitioner pointed out that “respondent number four (Amritpal Singh) stated that he doesn’t owe allegiance to the Constitution of India.”
In response, the bench suggested, “You file an election petition,” indicating that the matter should be pursued through the appropriate legal channels. However, the petitioner, who was not a voter in the Khadoor Sahib constituency but expressed being “deeply hurt” by Singh’s past statements, was informed that there are established procedures and provisions under the Representation of the People Act that must be followed.
The bench ultimately dismissed the petition, stating, “Thank you. Dismissed.”
On July 5, Amritpal Singh, leader of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ group, was granted parole to take the oath as a member of the Lok Sabha. Singh, who is 31 years old, secured his seat as an independent candidate while serving time in Assam’s Dibrugarh district prison under charges related to the National Security Act.
