Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: In a highly secure event, radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Rashid Engineer, took their oaths as Members of Parliament (MPs) on Friday. This came weeks after they won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections while incarcerated.
The oath-taking ceremony for these MPs-elect was conducted under tight security in the Parliament complex. Amritpal Singh and Rashid Engineer, both out on parole, were escorted to the Speaker’s chambers by Delhi Police, where they completed the necessary formalities before being returned to jail.
Amritpal Singh, 31, an independent candidate from Khadoor Sahib in Punjab, and Sheikh Abdul Rashid, 56, from Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, missed the initial oath-taking ceremony for the 18th Lok Sabha on June 24 and 25 due to their imprisonment. Singh is detained in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act, while Rashid is held in Delhi’s Tihar jail on charges related to terror funding under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Singh secured his parliamentary seat by defeating Congress’s Kulbir Singh Zira with a margin of 1.97 lakh votes. Rashid triumphed over National Conference leader Omar Abdullah to win the Baramulla seat.
Granted a four-day custody parole starting July 5, Amritpal Singh was transported from Assam to Delhi to take his oath. Rashid, on the other hand, was given a two-hour custody parole, excluding travel time from Tihar jail to the Parliament.
Conditions of their parole included a prohibition on making any media statements, either directly or through family members. The Delhi Police and Punjab Police coordinated with the Lok Sabha’s Secretary-General to ensure the procedures were managed smoothly within the Parliament complex. Security personnel accompanied both leaders at all times during their parole.
Amritpal Singh, leader of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ group and a known proponent of Khalistani ideology, was permitted to meet his family in Delhi during his parole. However, Rashid’s family was only allowed to attend his oath-taking ceremony.
This event marks a significant moment in India’s parliamentary history, highlighting the complexities and challenges within the nation’s political landscape.
