CHANDIGARH: The cremation of Charan Kaur, grandmother of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP and chief of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De (AD-WPD) Amritpal Singh, has been put on hold for three days as the family and his party demand his release on parole to attend the last rites.
A delegation of AD-WPD leaders is scheduled to meet Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and urge him to expedite the process of granting parole to the jailed MP and his relatives on humanitarian grounds.
Amritpal's father, Tarsem Singh, said the family was awaiting the government's response. "My brother is in Bathinda jail, while Amritpal's brother is also in jail. We are considering all options. We have decided to keep the body for three days and wait for the government to act,” he said.
He also criticised the denial of parole to his son, pointing out that Amritpal had earlier sought permission to attend a Lok Sabha session to raise issues concerning his constituency.
"My son is not even being released after the NIA stated that his custody was no longer required. He has lost his grandmother and it is an emotional moment for the family,” he said.
Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali said Amritpal was an elected Member of Parliament who had been voted to power by the people of his constituency.
"If a controversial Dera chief facing murder and rape charges can be granted frequent paroles and furloughs, what is the problem in granting bail to a leader who has been elected by the people of his constituency to attend the cremation of his grandmother,” he asked.
Ayali further questioned why rules were allegedly relaxed for the Dera Sirsa chief but applied rigidly to Sikh prisoners.
"People of Punjab are watching, and both the BJP and AAP will have to pay a heavy price for this during elections,” he said.
Kaur, 87, passed away after a prolonged illness, family members said. Her son, Tarsem Singh, said she had been unwell for the past three months and had been hospitalised twice during this period.
Earlier, the family had moved an application seeking interim bail for Amritpal Singh to enable him to meet his ailing grandmother. However, on October 7, the Amritsar District Court allowed the MP, who is lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam, to speak to her through a 10-minute video call.
Amritpal Singh was initially detained under the National Security Act (NSA). Although the Punjab government later withdrew the NSA, he remains in jail in connection with other charges.