Jailed separatist leader and Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh has initiated legal proceedings against his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). Amritpal Singh, currently held in Dibrugarh district’s prison in Assam, has filed a petition with the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking to have the entire NSA proceedings against him quashed.
In his petition, Amritpal Singh asserts that his detention is unlawful and demands its annulment. He argues that the detention serves no purpose other than to penalize him for his vocal criticism of both state and central governments on significant political issues—a right he contends is guaranteed under democratic principles.
Amritpal Singh’s legal team contends that the grounds for his detention are based predominantly on social media posts made by various individuals globally, which they claim have minimal impact on Punjab and the security of India. Amritpal Singh’s petition challenges the notion that social media posts alone can justify such severe measures as his detention.
Further, Amritpal Singh’s petition highlights the undue harshness of his detention, noting that it deprives him of his right to life and liberty in an unusual and cruel manner. Amritpal Singh’s detention, they argue, is exacerbated by the fact that he is held approximately 2,600 kilometers away from his home state, making it excessively punitive and vindictive.
Amritpal Singh, who leads the ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit and emulates Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was arrested in February 2023. His arrest followed a violent confrontation in Ajnala police station, where he and his supporters clashed with police in an attempt to free one of his aides. Singh was subsequently detained under the NSA along with nine associates.
Recently, Amritpal Singh, who was elected as MP from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib constituency, was granted a four-day custody parole to travel to Delhi and take his oath of office. Despite this, Amritpal Singh remains confined in Assam’s Dibrugarh prison, and his legal challenge continues as he seeks to overturn his detention under the NSA.
