NEW DELHI: The Supreme court dismissed a plea against the election of Amritpal Singh, a jailed radical Sikh preacher, as an MP from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib. The petitioner argued that Singh, who allegedly does not owe allegiance to the Constitution of India, should not qualify for membership of Parliament under Article 84 of the Constitution. The bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan heard the case.
“You file an election petition,” the bench stated when the petitioner raised concerns over Amritpal Singh’s stance on the Indian Constitution.The petitioner, who appeared in-person and was not a voter in the Khadoor Sahib constituency, said he felt “deeply hurt” by Singh’s previous statements.
“It is a matter of evidence. There are procedures prescribed. There are provisions in the Representation of the People Act,” the bench observed.
“Thank you. Dismissed,” the bench concluded, refusing to entertain the petition.
On July 5, Amritpal Singh was granted parole to take his oath as a member of the Lok Sabha. Singh heads the ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit and is currently lodged in a prison in Assam’s Dibrugarh district under the National Security Act.
Despite being incarcerated, Singh won the Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib as an independent candidate.