Jailed MP Amritpal Singh Appears Before Punjab and Haryana High Court via Video Link

Khalistan supporter and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh appeared before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday. This appearance took place through video conferencing, because Amritpal is currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam under the National Security Act, i.e., NSA.

What is said in the petition?

The matter is related to the petition of Amritpal Singh, in which he has raised questions about his rights as an MP. The petition states that he is a representative elected by the public, and it is his constitutional right to participate in the proceedings of Parliament. In such a situation, it is not appropriate to completely stop his presence in Parliament because he is in jail.

On behalf of Amritpal, it was argued in the court that in a democracy, the voice of the public is most important, and keeping an elected MP away from the Parliament not only weakens the rights of the voters but also affects the democratic values. The petition also demanded that if it is not possible to reach Parliament physically, they should be allowed to attend the proceedings through video conferencing.

What was the attitude of the government?

At the same time, the government told the court that action has been taken against Amritpal Singh under the NSA and his activities have been considered serious from the point of view of national security. The government said that in such cases, security is given priority, and any relief can be considered only as per the jail rules.

What did the High Court say?

During the hearing, the High Court carefully listened to the arguments of both the parties. The court acknowledged that this matter is sensitive because on the one hand it involves the constitutional rights of the MP, and on the other hand there are questions related to national security. The court has not yet given any final verdict and has fixed the date of further hearing in the case.

Why is this matter important?

This case is also considered important because the decision of the High Court can set the direction for other such cases in the future, where the rights of an elected representative and the security of the country come face-to-face.