The Punjab and Haryana High Court is set to hear a petition filed by Amritpal Singh, a sitting Member of Parliament, who has challenged the Punjab Government’s decision refusing him parole to attend the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament. Amritpal Singh is currently lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam after being detained under the National Security Act. He approached the Court seeking to set aside the order denying his request for temporary release and asked for directions permitting him to attend the Parliamentary session through parole.
In his plea, Amritpal Singh stated that he represents the Khadoor Sahib constituency, having been elected to Parliament in the 2024 General Elections while already under preventive detention. He argued that his detention should not prevent him from carrying out the responsibilities of an elected representative. He pointed out that he had previously been granted parole in July 2024 to travel to Delhi and take his oath as a Member of Parliament, which demonstrated that his temporary release for official duties had been permitted in the past. He also highlighted that prolonged absence from Parliament could result in disqualification under constitutional provisions, thereby affecting the rights of nearly nineteen lakh voters who elected him.
The High Court, in an earlier order, had directed the Punjab Government to decide on his parole request within a specified period, preferably before the Parliamentary session began. During the hearing, the Bench questioned what issues Amritpal Singh intended to raise in Parliament, and his counsel responded that he sought to raise matters including flood relief affecting his constituency.
Subsequently, the Punjab Government rejected his plea for parole. The State cited concerns regarding national security and public order, stating that the MP had been detained under the National Security Act due to allegations of involvement in activities posing a threat to security. Reports from district authorities and police supported the view that his temporary release could create law-and-order complications. On this basis, the State declined the request for parole.
Following the rejection, Amritpal Singh approached the High Court once again, arguing that the refusal prevented him from fulfilling his parliamentary duties and amounted to suppressing the democratic representation of his constituents. He requested the Court to intervene and permit him to attend the Parliamentary session either through parole or by making arrangements for his personal presence.
The petition is expected to be taken up for urgent consideration. The outcome will address the question of whether a person detained under the National Security Act, yet elected as a Member of Parliament, can be granted temporary release to attend legislative proceedings, raising questions about balancing national security concerns with parliamentary representation and democratic rights.
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