Amritpal Singh to take oath as MP today, kin leave for Delhi to meet radical

GS Paul

Amritsar, July 4

Relatives of jailed Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh today left for New Delhi, where the new MP from Khadoor Sahib is scheduled to take oath in Parliament tomorrow.

Amritpal’s father Tarsem Singh, uncle Harjit Singh Sandhu and his cousins have been allowed by District Magistrate-cum Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori to meet Amritpal during the time he would be in New Delhi, under certain conditions defined under Section 2(C) of the Punjab Detenues (Condition of Detention) Order, 1981.

Won’t be allowed to leave capital

• Amritpal Singh’s oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held in the chamber of the Lok Sabha Speaker. He will not be allowed to leave New Delhi
• At Parliament, the number of police personnel for his security will depend upon the permission by the Secretary General, Lok Sabha
• Amritpal and his relatives have to refrain from giving any statement. The department, under the DGP, will bear the expenses incurred on Amripal’s travel and boarding

Amritsar (Rural) SSP Satinder Singh has coordinated with the Secretary General, Lok Sabha, for smooth compliance of the conditions under which Amritpal is released temporarily. A police official said Amritpal would be flown from the Dibrugarh jail to New Delhi under tight security of both Dibrugarh and Amritsar police tomorrow, weather permitting. The Amritsar police team will be led by Superintendent of Police Harinder Singh, it is learnt.

Detained under the National Security Act (NSA) at Central Jail, Dibrugarh, in Assam with nine others, Amritpal was given a conditional parole of up to four days, starting July 5, to take oath as a member of the Lok Sabha.

The oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held in the chamber of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, not on the floor of the House, the usual practice. It is not certain whether Amritpal’s relatives will all be allowed to attend the ceremony.

As per information, Amritpal will not be allowed to move outside New Delhi.

While in the precincts of Parliament, the number of police personnel for his security will depend upon the permission by the Secretary General, Lok Sabha, tomorrow. When he is not required on the Parliament campus, he will be housed at an appropriate place by the Amritsar police.

Amritpal and his relatives have to refrain from giving any statement that could harm national security. His relatives have been strictly prohibited from making a video of their meeting with Amritpal or circulating their conversations.

Tarsem said it was fortunate that the authorities had allowed the family members to meet him. “We have no idea at when and where Amritpal’s oath-taking ceremony will take place. We have been given the reference of an official in New Delhi, who will intimate us about the scheduled time tomorrow morning,” he said.

He expressed resentment over Amritpal’s movements being restricted. “We will raise a request to the authorities to allow him to visit Khadoor Sahib to thank those who voted him,” he said.