AIBA Chairman Adish C Aggarwala slams 18 retired judges, defending Amit Shah’s remarks on Justice Sudershan Reddy, stressing judicial accountability, national security, and rejecting demands for privilege beyond fair criticism.
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NEW DELHI: The Chairman of the All India Bar Association (AIBA), Adish C Aggarwala, has strongly countered the statement issued by 18 retired judges who criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments on the matter.
Adish C Aggarwala, a senior advocate and former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, emphasised that judges who enter politics after retirement cannot expect the same immunity or reverence that comes with judicial office. He asserted,
“Protecting a retired judge from public scrutiny after entering politics amounts to demanding a privilege that does not exist.”
He clarified that Shah’s observations on Justice Reddy were neither personal nor insulting. Instead, they should be interpreted as a reminder that judges, while in office, must be cautious that their decisions do not compromise national unity, security, or sovereignty. According to Aggarwala, judicial pronouncements often extend beyond the courtroom and can directly affect national security and public order.
The AIBA chief expressed disappointment that some retired judges were attempting to politicise what he described as a “fair and balanced” statement by a senior constitutional authority. He cautioned that such actions risk undermining public trust in the judiciary’s impartiality.
Reiterating the association’s stance, Aggarwala said that the AIBA stands firmly for judicial accountability, the safeguarding of national security, and the principle that no individual, whether a judge, politician, or public figure, is above fair criticism.
Earlier, Amit Shah had targeted the Opposition alliance (INDIA bloc) for nominating Justice Reddy. He linked Reddy’s 2011 judgment on Salwa Judum to the persistence of Left-Wing Extremism in India. According to Shah, the decision to disband the armed civilian vigilante group hampered counter-insurgency operations and allowed Naxal violence to survive for over two decades.
Shah further alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi must explain why the alliance chose a nominee who, in his view, sympathised with left-wing ideology. He stated that the Salwa Judum verdict led to a situation where security forces were displaced from schools, and Naxal violence intensified, costing lives and preventing the eradication of Maoist insurgency before 2020.
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