Supreme Court rejects plea against election of Amritpal Singh as Lok Sabha MP

Supreme Court dismisses plea against jailed Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh's election as MP from Punjab.

The Supreme Court on Friday, August 9, 2024, dismissed a plea against the election of jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh as an MP from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib.

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The petitioner claimed before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan that Article 84 of the Constitution deals with qualification for membership of Parliament and says that a person shall not be qualified to be chosen to fill a seat in Parliament unless he is a citizen of India.

"In this case, respondent number four (Amritpal Singh) had said that he does not owe allegiance to the Constitution of India," the petitioner, who appeared in-person, said.

"You file an election petition," the bench said.

The petitioner said he was not a voter of Khadoor Sahib constituency but was "deeply hurt" by the statements given earlier by Singh.

"It is a matter of evidence. There are procedures prescribed. There are provisions in the Representation of the People Act," the bench observed.