Unconventional Victories: Jailed Sikh Separatists Enter Indian Parliament

The new Members of the Indian Parliament include jailed Sikh Separatists and terror accused. Sikh Separatist Amritpal Singh won the Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab as an independent candidate, despite being lodged in Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act. In Punjab's Faridkot, Sarabjit Khalsa, son of Beant Singh—the bodyguard who assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi—secured a victory, highlighting a rise in radicalism and a decline in traditional parties' popularity. In Jammu and Kashmir, controversial leader Abdul Rashid Sheikh, known as Engineer Rashid, defeated former CM Omar Abdullah in Baramulla while being detained in Tihar Jail on terror-funding charges. These victories, driven by a mix of radical sentiment and local issues, send a significant message about the shifting political landscape in India.