SC dismisses plea against election of Amritpal Singh as Lok Sabha MP

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea against the election of jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh as an MP from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib.

The petitioner claimed before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan that Article 84 of the Constitution deals with qualification for membership of Parliament and says that a person shall not be qualified to be chosen to fill a seat in Parliament unless he is a citizen of India.

"In this case, respondent number four (Amritpal Singh) had said that he does not owe allegiance to the Constitution of India," the petitioner, who appeared in-person, said.

"You file an election petition," the bench said.

The petitioner said he was not a voter of Khadoor Sahib constituency but was "deeply hurt" by the statements given earlier by Singh.

"It is a matter of evidence. There are procedures prescribed. There are provisions in the Representation of the People Act," the bench observed.

"Thank you. Dismissed," the bench said while refusin