Today, On 12th March, The Lok Sabha informed the Punjab & Haryana High Court that MP Amritpal Singh has been granted leave to attend proceedings. The court was hearing Singh’s plea seeking permission to participate in parliamentary sessions while in detention. His request raised legal questions about the rights of detained legislators. A final decision will depend on the court’s assessment of his case.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court informed that the Lok Sabha granted a leave of absence for 54 days to Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh, who is currently detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Assam.
This information was presented during the hearing of Singh’s plea, in which he sought permission to attend Lok Sabha sessions, fearing that his parliamentary constituency might be declared vacant after 60 days of continuous absence.
Also Read: Lok Sabha to HC on Amritpal Singh’s Plea: ‘Panel on MP Leaves Formed on Feb 24’
Taking into account the granted leave, the Division Bench, consisting of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel, stated,
“This petition has been filed by the petitioner, who is currently an inmate at Central Jail, Dibrugarh in Assam, seeking the following reliefs… regarding the petitioner’s concern about being disqualified from Parliament due to his absence, this has been alleviated by the letter dated 11.03.2025 from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, which grants him a leave of absence for 54 days… thus, the relief sought has been addressed.”
It is important to note that the leave has been approved for parliamentary sessions held last year. The letter from the Lok Sabha Secretariat was submitted by Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain, representing the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha and the Union of India.
Also Read: Amritpal Singh Seeks Permission to Attend Parliament as Seat Faces Risk of Vacancy
Senior Advocate Anupam Gupta appeared on behalf of the State of Punjab.
Singh is currently detained in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA) due to his alleged attempts to revive the Khalistan movement in Punjab, a situation that has persisted since 2023. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Khadoor Sahib constituency a year later.
He approached the Court after not receiving any response from the District Magistrate in Amritsar regarding his request to attend Parliament.
He contended,
“An MP under preventive detention has the right to participate in Parliament sessions, as parliamentary privileges and responsibilities take precedence over non-criminal (preventive) detentions,”
His petition challenging his detention under the NSA is still pending before the High Court. Senior Advocate RS Bains is representing Singh in this matter.
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.