Punjab and Haryana High Court to hear Amritpal Singh’s plea on February 25

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of MP Amritpal Singh’s petition to February 25, allowing Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain time to seek instructions in the matter. He was accompanied by advocate Dheeraj Jain during the hearing

Advertisement

The petition was placed before Chief Justice Sheel Nago and Justice Sumeet Goel’s Bench.

Amritpal Singh, the Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib and leader of “Waris Punjab De”, is currently detained in Dibrugarh Central Jail under the National Security Act. He has filed a petition seeking permission to attend parliamentary sessions, arguing that his prolonged absence violates his constitutional rights and leaves his constituency unrepresented. Singh emphasises that an absence exceeding 60 days could result in his seat being declared vacant, affecting nearly 19 lakh constituents. He also requests authorisation to meet with officials and ministers regarding the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) to address local development projects.

In his plea, he submitted that he formally requested permission from the Lok Sabha Speaker on November 30 last to attend the parliamentary session and was informed of a 46-day absence from sittings. Despite representations to the Deputy Commissioner/District Magistrate, he has not received a response, prompting him to seek judicial intervention. Singh contends that his detention and resultant absence are involuntary, constituting forced exclusion that undermines the democratic process and the representation of his constituents.