Radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who won the Khadoor Sahib seat in Punjab while contesting the elections from jail, has been granted a four-day parole starting Friday to take the oath of office. Singh, currently in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act, had requested temporary release to be sworn in.
The Punjab Government sent an application to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, leading to the parole decision. Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori confirmed the parole, with specific conditions communicated to the Dibrugarh jail superintendent.
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In a similar move, Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, known as Engineer Rashid, will also be sworn in as the MP from the Baramulla constituency after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) granted permission. Both Singh and Rashid are expected to take the oath in the Speaker’s room on Saturday, pending final approval from the government and relevant agencies.
Singh’s lawyer and family, however, have not received confirmation about the swearing-in date. Singh, head of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ political group, ran as an Independent and defeated Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira by nearly 2 lakh votes.
Also Read: These 2 candidates fought Lok Sabha elections from jail, both of them won
Inspired by Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Singh has been implicated in multiple cases, including spreading disharmony, attempted murder, and attacks on police personnel. He was arrested in Punjab’s Moga last year after a month-long hunt. His detention, set to end on July 24, was extended by a year on June 3, just before the Lok Sabha election results.
