CHANDIGARH: Amritpal Singh, Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib, will not be able to attend the upcoming winter session of Parliament after the government declined his request for temporary parole. Officials said the decision was taken on the basis of reports submitted by district authorities.
Amritpal’s father, Tarsem Singh, said the sole purpose of seeking parole was to enable his son to participate in the winter session and raise issues concerning Punjab and the Sikh community. He added that the family had not sought parole for any personal reasons or home visits.
Amritpal Singh is currently lodged in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA). He had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking permission to attend the session. The High Court had directed the government to take a decision within a week. The winter session of Parliament is scheduled from December 1 to 19.
According to sources, the government relied on reports from the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner and senior district police officers, which warned that releasing Amritpal could pose a threat to law and order. Based on these inputs, the request for temporary parole was declined.
In his petition, Amritpal had invoked Section 15 of the NSA, which allows parole in special circumstances. The petition had earlier been directed by the Supreme Court and subsequently transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court for consideration.
