The mother of jailed radical Sikh preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh, who took swear of the Indian Constitution as a member of Parliament on Friday (July 5), said that her son is not a Khalistani supporter and demanded that he be released immediately so that he can work on the issues on which he contested the elections. Celebrations were held in Amritpal’s native village Jallupur Khera in Amritsar and the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency where people distributed sweets after his oath-taking.
He was granted parole to take oath as an MP of the Lok Sabha. Besides him, Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid also took oath amid heavy security in and around the Parliament complex.
They took oath in the chamber of the Lok Sabha speaker after completing formalities. They were brought to the Parliament complex by security personnel this morning.
Amritpal is booked under the National Security Act and is lodged in a prison in Assam's Dibrugarh district. He was flown from Assam to Delhi on a four-day custody parole, for taking oath.
What did Amritpal’s mother say?
Speaking to the reporters in Amritsar, his mother Balwinder Kaur thanked god and said the 'Sangat' (community) is happy and celebrating after he was administered the oath.
"We demand that he be released immediately so that he can thank supporters and work on the issues on the basis of which elections were won," said Kaur.
She said her son's supporters kept asking when he would come out of the jail. "We urge the government that he should be released immediately," she said.
Replying to a question, she said people voted for him with expectations that he would work for their welfare.
"The main issues on which elections were fought were drug menace and release of 'Bandi Singhs'," she said. "He is innocent, weaning away youths from drugs is not wrong," she added.
Amritpal not a Khalistani supporter: Mother
To another question, Kaur asserted "He is not a Khalistani supporter. By speaking about Punjab's rights and saving Punjab's youth (from drugs), can anyone become a supporter of Khalistan."
"He fought elections within the ambit of the Constitution and took oath. One should not say such a thing. He will raise Punjab's issues and will save youth (from drugs)," she said.
Having fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent, Singh won from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat defeating Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira. He won by a margin of 1,97,120 votes.
He was arrested in Moga's Rode village after he and his supporters on February 23 barged into the Ajnala police station breaking barricades, brandishing swords and guns, and clashed with police personnel in an attempt to free one of his aides from custody.
I don’t consider myself citizen of India: Amritpal Singh
In an interview with news agency ANI in February last year, Amritpal had said that he does "not" consider himself a citizen of India and had called the passport merely a "travel document" stating that it does not make him an Indian.
"Militancy is not something that I am able to start. Nobody can start or end militancy. Militancy is a very natural phenomenon. It happens after a long period of suppression anywhere. Is militancy a constructive thing to start? I can order someone to start militancy, it does not happen like that. There is a peaceful protest. When Amit Shah said that he will suppress things, I said there will be consequences. It's not just about Indira Gandhi's murder as consequence. It's not a threat to Home Minister. I would say is a threat to us. What options do we have when there are legal binaries in India? I don't consider myself a citizen of India. I just have a passport, which does not make me Indian. It's a travel document," he had said.
Amritpal Singh, who is considered to be a radical preacher and sympathiser of Khalistan separatist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, had said that calling him a "terrorist is terrorism" itself and added that he works for the people of Punjab and has an influence on the youth "not for wrong, but for right reasons".
(With inputs from agencies)
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