Jailed Amritpal Singh, Engineer Rashid To Take Oath As Lok Sabha Members Today

Amritpal Singh, a Sikh preacher with radical views, and Sheikh Abdul Rashid, a Kashmiri political leader facing terror cases, are scheduled to be sworn in as Lok Sabha members today. Their participation is contingent upon specific conditions set forth in their parole orders. Engineer Rashid, as he is commonly known, is currently detained in Tihar Jail, Delhi, on charges related to terror funding under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Meanwhile, Singh is held in a prison in Dibrugarh, Assam, for offenses under the National Security Act.

Both individuals, aged 31 and 56 respectively, secured victories in the recent Lok Sabha elections as independent candidates from Khadoor Sahib, Punjab, and Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, despite being imprisoned. They were unable to participate in the oath-taking ceremony with other elected officials of the 18th Lok Sabha on June 24 and 25.

Rashid has been allotted a two-hour custody parole, not including travel time, for the oath-taking, while Singh has been granted a four-day custody parole starting July 5, to accommodate his travel from Assam to Delhi. During their parole, they are prohibited from interacting with the media or making public statements, a restriction that extends to their family members as well.

Singh, who leads the 'Waris Punjab De' group and is known for his pro-Khalistan stance, has been permitted to meet his family in Delhi. Conversely, Rashid's family is only allowed to be present for his oath-taking ceremony.

Rashid's parole was authorized by a Delhi court, following his incarceration since 2019 after an arrest in 2017. Singh's parole was issued by the district magistrate of Amritsar, where he was apprehended in April 2023 for instigating a confrontation at a police station earlier that year.

Both will be under constant surveillance by security personnel throughout their parole. Singh's parole conditions specifically mandate that he must not venture outside of New Delhi during his temporary release.