Two newly elected members of India’s parliament, a Sikh separatist and a Kashmiri politician, were temporarily released from jail on Friday to be sworn into office after securing significant victories in last month’s elections while behind bars.
Amritpal Singh, a 31-year-old firebrand preacher advocating for a separate Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was arrested last year following a protracted police pursuit. Despite his incarceration, Singh triumphed over 26 rivals to win his seat in Punjab. His arrest in April 2023 came after he and his armed supporters stormed a police station to free an aide detained on charges of assault and attempted kidnapping.
Sheikh Abdul “Engineer” Rashid, a former state legislator from Indian-administered Kashmir, was also sworn in after winning his constituency by over 200,000 votes. Rashid has been held since 2019 on terrorism funding allegations following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government revoking Kashmir’s limited autonomy. His election campaign was managed by his son, symbolized by a pressure cooker to reflect the region’s curtailed civil liberties.
Neither Singh nor Rashid has been convicted of their charges, allowing them to take their parliamentary oaths despite their detentions. Both men were briefly bailed from custody to participate in a private ceremony in New Delhi, weeks after their colleagues had taken their oaths. Media access was barred from the event.
Singh was transported to the capital from his detention in Assam for the swearing-in, while Rashid was temporarily released from his jail in Delhi. According to Rashid’s lawyer, Ubaid Shams, the ceremony was attended by Rashid’s wife and children.
“He is back in prison. But he is now an official member of parliament,” Shams confirmed.
India’s electoral system permits detained individuals to formally assume office, though their participation in parliamentary sessions is contingent on judicial discretion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party secured a third term in the recent elections but fell short of a majority, necessitating coalition alliances to govern.
