Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed Justice Sudershan Reddy over the Salwa Judum judgment, alleging it ended Adivasis’ right to self-defence and protected Naxals, targeting the INDIA bloc’s Vice Presidential nominee.
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NEW DELHI: With the Vice Presidential elections around the corner, Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the opposition INDIA bloc for nominating Retired Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy as their candidate.
Shah accused Justice Reddy of being a “left-wing sympathiser” and held his 2011 Supreme Court judgment on Salwa Judum responsible for prolonging the survival of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in India.
In July 2011, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justice B Sudershan Reddy and Justice S S Nijjar declared the Salwa Judum movement in Chhattisgarh illegal and unconstitutional.
Salwa Judum, meaning “peace march” in the local Gondi language, was an armed civilian vigilante movement launched in 2005, supported by the Chhattisgarh government under then BJP Chief Minister Raman Singh. It mobilised tribal villagers to resist Maoist influence and assist security forces.
The Supreme Court ruling, however, observed that:
“Salwa Judum was an abdication of constitutional responsibilities of the State to provide appropriate security to citizens by having an appropriately trained professional police force of sufficient numbers and properly equipped on a permanent basis.”
This judgment effectively disbanded the movement.
In his interview with ANI, Shah alleged that Justice Reddy’s decision gave Naxalism a new lease of life at a time when it was “gasping for breath.”
- Shah claimed that before 2011, Naxalism was on the verge of eradication, but the judgment helped insurgents regroup.
- He accused the Congress and Rahul Gandhi of “rewarding” left-wing ideology by backing Justice Reddy as their Vice Presidential nominee.
- “He (Reddy) ended the right to self-defence for Adivasis. This is the reason Naxalism has sustained for two more decades,” Shah asserted.
Shah further argued that Salwa Judum was created by Adivasis themselves, who wanted roads, schools, and healthcare, and disbanding it deprived them of self-protection.
The INDIA bloc, which has support from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), defended its choice, framing the upcoming Vice Presidential election as an “ideological fight” against the ruling NDA.
On September 9, 2025, Justice Reddy will contest against NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan.
Who is Justice B Sudershan Reddy?:
- Former Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
- Elevated to the Supreme Court in 2007, retired in July 2011.
- Known for his role in the Salwa Judum judgment that continues to stir political debate more than a decade later.
- Filed his Vice Presidential nomination on August 21, 2025.
ALSO READ: Who Is INDIA Bloc Vice President Candidate Former Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy?
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