The mother of jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who took oath as a member of Parliament today, said her son is not a Khalistani supporter and demanded that he be released immediately so he can work on the issues he fought the elections on.
Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, Mr Singh's mother Balwinder Kaur thanked god and said the 'Sangat' (community) was happy and celebrated after the oath.
"We demand that he be released immediately so that he can thank supporters and work on the issues based on which elections were won," Ms Kaur said at her residence and asserted that she will soon meet her son.
She said her son's supporters kept asking when he would come out of the jail. "We urge the government to release him immediately," she said, adding that people voted for him expecting that he would work for their welfare.
"The main issues on which elections were fought were drug menace and the release of 'Bandi Singhs'," she said. "He is innocent - weaning away youth from drugs is not wrong," she added.
"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, lamenting that her son was not administered oath along with the other members.
Meanwhile, celebrations broke out in Mr Singh's native village Jallupur Khera in Amritsar, and the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency where people distributed sweets after he was administered oath.
Mr Singh and Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who were granted parole to take oath as Lok Sabha MPs, were sworn in as MPs amid heavy security in and around the Parliament complex.
They were brought to the Parliament complex by security personnel this morning and took oath in the chamber of the Lok Sabha Speaker after completing all formalities.
Mr Singh, lodged in jail in Assam's Dibrugarh under the National Security Act, was flown to Delhi on a four-day custody parole, for the oath.
Having fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent, Amritpal Singh won from Khadoor Sahib by defeating Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira by a margin of 1,97,120 votes.
Mr Singh, who heads the "Waris Punjab De" and styled himself after slain Khalistani terrorist 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 barged into the Ajnala police station on February 23 breaking barricades, and brandishing swords and guns. They clashed with police personnel in an attempt to free one of his aides from custody.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
