Chandigarh-The denial of travel to Balwinder Kaur, mother of MP Amritpal Singh, raises serious concerns about the arbitrary exercise of state power and the erosion of civil liberties in India. Despite possessing valid travel documents and a legitimate visa to visit her newborn grandchild in Canada, she was prevented from boarding her flight at Delhi’s IGI Airport without clear justification. This incident appears to represent collective punishment—penalizing family members for the alleged actions or political positions of a relative—a practice that violates fundamental principles of justice and individual accountability.
Such actions set a troubling precedent for democratic governance. If citizens can be denied their constitutional rights to travel freely based solely on familial association rather than their own conduct, it undermines the rule of law and creates a climate of fear. Balwinder Kaur herself has not been accused of any wrongdoing, yet she was deprived of the deeply personal opportunity to meet her grandchild. This kind of restriction, imposed without transparent legal process or clear grounds, suggests an overreach of executive authority that should concern anyone who values democratic norms and human rights.
The incident also highlights broader patterns of how dissenting voices and their families are treated in contemporary India. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Amritpal Singh’s politics, the treatment of his mother reflects poorly on India’s commitment to constitutional values. A mature democracy should distinguish between political opposition and criminality, and should never punish individuals for the views or actions of their relatives. The lack of explanation provided to Balwinder Kaur further compounds the injustice, denying her even the dignity of understanding why her rights were curtailed.