Punjab MP Amritpal Singh granted leave: Centre to Punjab & Haryana High Court
The Centre on Wednesday informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib Amritpal Singh has been granted 54 days’ leave.
The information was furnished before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel less than a fortnight after the Lok Sabha Speaker constituted a 15-member committee to examine leave application of Members of Parliament, including Amritpal Singh.
As the matter came up for resumed hearing, Additional Solicitor-General of India Satya Pal Jain, along with advocate Dheeraj Jain, placed before the Bench the letter dated March 11 issued from the Lok Sabha secretariat granting “leave of absence of 54 days” from June 24, 2024, to July 2, 2024, and from July 22, 2024, to August 9, 2024, and again from November 25, 2024 to December 20, 2024.
Taking a note of the letter, the Bench asserted: “So far as the apprehension of the petitioner of being dismembered from the Parliament due to his absence, his concern stands assuaged by the letter dated March 11.”
Referring to his other prayer requesting for authorisation to meet officials and ministers regarding the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) to address local development projects, the Bench asserted it was of the view that the conduct of parliamentary sessions were governed by a certain set of rules. “Therefore, it would be appropriate for the petitioner to prefer a representation to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha”.
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.
In his petition through senior counsel R S Bains, he was seeking permission to attend parliamentary sessions, arguing that his prolonged absence violated his constitutional rights and left his constituency unrepresented.
He also pointed out that an absence exceeding 60 days could result in his seat being declared vacant, affecting nearly 19 lakh constituents.
Amritpal Singh submitted he formally requested permission from the Lok Sabha Speaker on November 30 last year to attend the parliamentary session and was informed that he had already been absent from sittings for 46 days.
Despite representations to the Deputy Commissioner/District Magistrate, he did not receive a response, prompting him to seek judicial intervention.
