Has Committee Been Constituted For Granting Leave Of Absence To MPs? P&H HC Asks In MP Amritpal Singh's Plea To Attend Lok Sabha Session

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has asked the Union Government to inform whether the committee for granting leave to Member of Parliaments from attending sessions of the house has been constituted, in a plea filed by MP Amritpal Singh detained under National Security Act seeking to attend the session. Amritpal has approached the High Court seeking direction to the Union, Punjab Government and other respondents to allow him to attend parliamentary proceedings in obedience to the summons issued by Lok Sabha General Secretary. While listing the matter for February 25, Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel asked Senior Panel Counsel for Union Government Dheeraj Jain to seek instructions on whether the committee for granting leave to MP from attending session has been constituted. According to Article 101 “If for a period of sixty days a member of either House of Parliament is without permission of the House absent from all meetings thereof, the House may declare his seat vacant.” Senior counsel appearing for Amritpal argued that he was absent for 54 days and only 6 days are left, after that his seat will be declared vacant.