Today, On 25th February, The Punjab & Haryana High Court was hearing a plea by detained MP Amritpal Singh, who sought permission to attend Lok Sabha proceedings. During the hearing, the Lok Sabha informed the court that a panel on MP leaves was constituted on February 24. The case raises questions about parliamentary privileges and the rights of detained legislators.
New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana High Court informed on Tuesday that the ‘Committee on Absence of Members from the Sittings of the House was established on Monday to facilitate leave applications from Lok Sabha members.’
This update came during a hearing regarding detained Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, who is seeking permission to attend Lok Sabha proceedings.
On February 21, the court inquired whether Singh had applied for leave from the Lok Sabha and whether the committee for MPs‘ leave was operational.
Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain, representing the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, informed the division bench, consisting of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel, that the committee had been formed and includes 15 members.
Jain also confirmed that Singh had submitted a leave application.
Jain stated in court,
“All applications made by a member of Lok Sabha for seeking leave, including that of the petitioner, shall be considered by the said committee,”
Senior Advocate Anupam Gupta represented the State of Punjab.
The hearing was adjourned as Singh’s counsel was unavailable. Singh has been detained in Assam under the National Security Act since 2023 due to his alleged attempts to revive the Khalistan movement in Punjab. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Khadoor Sahib constituency a year later.
Singh approached the court after receiving no response from the District Magistrate in Amritsar regarding his request to attend Parliament.
He argued,
“An MP under preventive detention has the right to attend Parliament sessions, as parliamentary privileges and duties take precedence over detention in non-criminal cases.”
According to his plea, Singh’s parliamentary constituency will be declared vacant if he remains absent for 60 consecutive days from proceedings. He has already been absent for over 46 days. His counsel stated that while he had applied for leave, no decision had been communicated to him.
Additionally, Singh requested permission to participate in meetings with officials and ministers concerning the implementation of the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).
The plea asserts,
“The petitioner has been forcibly detained and not allowed to attend the Parliament proceedings despite his intent to do so. In such circumstances, this cannot be deemed absence but a forced action by the authorities keeping the petitioner away from Parliament, which is, in strict terms, contempt of Parliament.”
MP Amritpal Singh, a detained Member of Parliament, has sought permission to attend Lok Sabha proceedings. His case involves issues related to parliamentary privileges, preventive detention under the National Security Act, and the broader political context of the Khalistan movement.
The Punjab & Haryana High Court is currently hearing his plea, with the Lok Sabha informing the court about the Committee on Absence handling leave applications for MPs.
Case Title: Amritpal Singh v. Union of India and Others