Jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, famously known as Engineer Rashid, took oath as members of the Lok Sabha on Friday. Both the leaders had been granted parole for the swearing in ceremony.
The oath taking was carried out amid heavy deployment of security personnel in and around the Parliament complex in Delhi.
While Rashid, 56, has been lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail in connection with a terror funding case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Amritpal Singh has been lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh Central jail since April last year, for offences under the National Security Act.
The jailed leaders were brought to the Parliament complex today by security personnel this morning after which they were sworn in as MPs.
After the oath ceremony in Delhi, Singh was brought back to the Diburgarh jail by Friday night.
'Should've Been Allowed To Take Oath In June With Others'
Amritpal Singh's mother, Balwinder Kaur congratulated the supporters of her son and said that he should have been allowed to take oath along with other MPs in June. She also requested the government to release Singh from jail.
"I congratulate all the supporters...He should have also been allowed to take oath as a Lok Sabha MP in June with the other MPs...The supporters are very happy as he took oath as a Lok Sabha MP...I request the government to release him from jail," she said.
Singh, Rashid Granted Parole For Oath-Taking
The 31-year-old Waris Punjab De activist, Singh, was flown to New Delhi by a special aircraft on Friday morning from Assam. He was granted a four-day parole for his swearing-in ceremony.
Amritpal Singh won the Lok Sabha polls from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib constituency.
Singh's parole orders strictly prohibited him or his family from making any public statements during his visit to the national capital. Moreover, videography, circulation of statements, or any form of media coverage, is strictly prohibited.
In addition, he has been instructed to abstain from engaging in any activities that might compromise national security, news agency PTI reported.
Rashid, who won from Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla, was granted a two-hour custody parole, which excluded the travel time from Tihar to the Parliament.
Singh's Supporters Distribute Sweets Ahead Of His Oath-Taking
Ahead of Amritpal Singh's oath-taking ceremony, his supporters distributed sweets and offered 'ardas' in a Gurdwara in Punjab's Amrtisar today.
AIP leader Firdous Baba commented on Delhi's Patiala Court granting parole to Engineer Rashid for oath-taking saying, "It is the beauty of vibrant democracy that a person in jail can also contest the elections. As he (Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid) has won the elections, it is his right to take the oath as an MP... Our first battle was to let him take the oath, which we have won, and our second battle is to demand bail for him..."