Chandigarh: The mother of jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who took oath as a member of Parliament on Friday, said her son is not a Khalistani supporter and demanded that he be released immediately so that he can work on the issues on which he fought the elections.
Meanwhile, celebrations broke out in Singh's native village Jallupur Khera in Amritsar and the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency where people distributed sweets after he was administered oath.
Singh and Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who were granted parole to take oath as members of the Lok Sabha, were sworn in as MPs amid heavy security in and around the Parliament complex. They took oath in the chamber of the Lok Sabha Speaker after completing formalities. They were brought to the Parliament complex by security personnel this morning.
Singh is lodged in a prison in Assam's Dibrugarh district for offences under the National Security Act. He was flown from Assam to Delhi on a four-day custody parole, for taking oath.
Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, Singh's mother Balwinder Kaur thanked god and said the 'Sangat' (community) is happy and celebrating after he was administered the oath.
"We demand that he be released immediately so that he can thank supporters and work on the issues on the basis of which elections were won," said Kaur at her residence.
She said her son's supporters kept asking when he would come out of the jail. "We urge the government that he should be released immediately," she said.
Replying to a question, she said people voted for him with expectations that he would work for their welfare. "The main issues on which elections were fought were drug menace and release of 'Bandi Singhs'," she said. "He is innocent, weaning away youths from drugs is not wrong," she added.
To another question, Kaur asserted "He is not a Khalistani supporter. By speaking about Punjab's rights and saving Punjab's youth (from drugs), can anyone become a supporter of Khalistan."
"He fought elections within the ambit of the Constitution and took oath. One should not say such a thing. He will raise Punjab's issues and will save youth (from drugs)," she said.
She lamented that her son was not administered oath along with other members. To another question, she said she will soon meet her son. Having fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent, Singh won from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat defeating Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira. He won by a margin of 1,97,120 votes.
Singh, who heads the "Waris Punjab De" outfit and styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was jailed along with nine of his associates under the National Security Act. He was arrested in Moga's Rode village after he and his supporters on February 23 barged into the Ajnala police station breaking barricades, brandishing swords and guns, and clashed with police personnel in an attempt to free one of his aides from custody.
