Amritpal Singh & Sheikh Abdul Rashid Take Oath as MPs

On 5 Jul, two independent MPs, Amritpal Singh from Khadoor Sahib in Panjab and Sheikh Abdul Rashid from Baramulla in Jammu & Kashmir, took their oaths to office (SDW Vol 2 Issue 24, Story 5). Since both are incarcerated, they were granted short parole – strict conditions were imposed on Singh. The oath-taking ceremony took place amid heightened security in and around the Parliament complex. Singh and Rashid were brought to Parliament by the Delhi Police and taken to the Speaker’s chambers to take the oath after which they were remanded to jail. No photographs or video footage of the oath-taking ceremony has been released. After the ceremony, Singh’s mother Balwinder Kaur said, ‘We demand he be released immediately...He is not a Khalistan supporter…He fought elections within the ambit of the Constitution and took oath.’ Later Kaur clarified, ‘The media has twisted my words. It is for Singh to speak on the issue of Khalistan.’ The next day, a tweet appeared on X from Singh’s new handle (started June 2024) saying, ‘It is not a crime to dream of Khalsa Raj. Instead, it is a matter of pride. So many have been martyred for the dream, we cannot step back from the path.’ On 8 Jul, BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu said, ‘Singh has taken oath on Constitution, his mother has given her statement, what is left to discuss? This tweet is an attempt to divide Singh’s family.’ Panjab BJP leader Sunil Jakhar said, ‘If there is demand for Amritpal’s release, why can’t Lawrence Bishnoi be released?’ Singh is an undertrial prisoner pending hearing on his case, while Bishnoi has already been sentenced.