Waris Punjab De Chief Challenges NSA Detention in High Court

Amritpal Singh, leader of Waris Punjab De and Khadoor Sahib MP, contested his detention under the National Security Act in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, claiming it's unlawful. Detained since April 2023, Singh argues the detention order was overreaching and infringes on his constitutional rights.

Amritpal Singh, the jailed chief of Waris Punjab De and Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha MP, has challenged his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Singh, who is currently lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh Jail since April 2023, contends that his preventive detention is excessive and unlawful.

The Punjab politician argued that his detention was based on trivial social media posts that posed no real threat to Punjab's security. He asserted that the Amritsar District Magistrate exceeded their authority by issuing the detention order, a power vested solely in the Central or State Government.

Represented by advocate Amar Jeet Singh and senior advocate RS Bains, Singh claimed his detention violates his constitutional rights, including his capacity to represent his constituency. Originally from Jallu Kheda village in Amritsar, Singh was arrested after a February 2023 clash with police at Ajnala police station following a protest to free an aide.

Singh, who lived in Dubai before returning to Punjab in 2022, became the head of the pro-Khalistani group, Waris Punjab De, after actor Deep Sidhu's death. Following a provocative speech in March 2023, Punjab Police detained him under the NSA. Despite his imprisonment, Singh won the Khadoor Sahib seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and was granted a four-day custody parole to take his oath as an MP.

(With inputs from agencies.)