Both were elected as Independents in the recent Lok Sabha elections, with Singh incarcerated in Assam’s Dibrugarh prison and Rashid in Delhi’s Tihar jail.
Singh, elected from Khadoor Sahib in Punjab, and Rashid, who won from Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, could not take their oaths with other newly elected MPs due to their imprisonment. They were escorted to the Parliament by security personnel and took their oaths in the Lok Sabha speaker’s chamber.
Rashid was granted a two-hour custody parole excluding travel time from Tihar to Parliament, while Amritpal received a four-day custody parole starting July 5 to account for travel from Assam to Delhi and back. Their parole orders specified restrictions on media interactions.
In Delhi, Amritpal was allowed to meet his family, while Rashid’s family could only attend the oath-taking ceremony. Amritpal, head of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit, is detained under the National Security Act for his radical activities. Rashid has been in custody since 2017 for a terror funding case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Authorities ensured strict procedures were followed within the Parliament complex. Rashid’s case involved connections to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali and other prominent separatist figures. Amritpal Singh, who aligns himself with the late Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, is also held under the National Security Act. The events underscored the contentious issues surrounding their criminal charges and political roles.