In a surprising political turn, Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu has publicly supported granting interim parole to jailed MP Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA).
Bittu’s remarks, made to reporters outside Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday, represent a notable departure from his earlier criticism of the 32-year-old radical preacher and chief of the ‘Waris Punab De’ outfit. The shift comes amid deepening rifts within Punjab’s political landscape ahead of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, which began on December 1, gets underway.
Singh was arrested in April 2023 following a month-long manhunt by Punjab Police amid allegations of inciting violence, promoting separatism, and disrupting public order. Despite his detention, he contested and won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Khadoor Sahib as an Independent, securing over 4 lakh votes.