The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition challenging the election of Amritpal Singh, a jailed radical Sikh preacher, as a Member of Parliament (MP) from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib constituency. The bench, consisting of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, ruled against the plea which questioned Singh’s allegiance to the Constitution of India.
The petitioner, who appeared in-person and was not a voter from the Khadoor Sahib constituency, argued that Singh should not qualify for membership in Parliament under Article 84 of the Constitution, due to his alleged disavowal of the Constitution. The court, however, directed the petitioner to file an election petition, emphasizing the need for proper legal procedures and evidence under the Representation of the People Act.
“It is a matter of evidence. There are procedures prescribed. There are provisions in the Representation of the People Act,” the bench stated, before concluding the hearing with a succinct dismissal of the case.
Amritpal Singh, who leads the ‘Waris Punjab De’ group, is currently serving a sentence under the National Security Act in Assam’s Dibrugarh district. Despite his incarceration, Singh won the Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate. On July 5, he was granted parole to take his oath as a member of the Lok Sabha.
