INDIA bloc’s Vice-President candidate Sudershan Reddy defended his Salwa Judum judgement, telling Amit Shah to “read the judgement and then speak.” He said he will continue to protect the Constitution.
INDIA bloc’s Vice-President candidate and retired Supreme Court judge Sudershan Reddy has strongly questioned why his opponent from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), C P Radhakrishnan, has not come forward to take part in a public debate on constitutional issues.
Speaking at an event organised by the INDIA bloc in Hyderabad, Reddy openly said,
“I don’t know where the other candidate is… Every day, I am speaking to the media. A good debate would ensue only if he too speaks out. But he is silent. A debate is lacking.”
The meeting was attended by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, several cabinet ministers, and leaders from the CPI and CPI(M).
Explaining why he entered the Vice-Presidential race, Sudershan Reddy said that his commitment towards the Constitution was the main reason. Holding a copy of the Constitution in his hand, he told the gathering,
“For 53 years, I defended and protected the Constitution. Entering the V-P race is only a part of this long constitutional journey of mine… I will continue to defend and protect the constitution of India.”
He further explained that he agreed to the INDIA bloc’s proposal to contest because of the present situation in the country. According to him, the Constitution and democratic institutions are under attack, and people must raise their voices.
He said,
“We are living at a time when the Constitution and democratic institutions are being muzzled.”
He added that everyone should speak out against this.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier alleged that Reddy supported Naxalites because of a judgment he wrote against the controversial anti-Naxal movement Salwa Judum. Responding to that, the former judge firmly said,
“I am not bothered by the allegations. I will be scared, they thought. I am prepared to enter into a dialogue with them. All that I have to say is, ‘read the judgement and then speak’… These kinds of allegations coming from one side, and the language which is being employed, is not right.”
He also raised serious concerns about the Bihar government’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He said that this issue should not be seen as a fight between the ruling party and the opposition, but as a matter that concerns all citizens.
“This is not a matter for debate just between the opposition and ruling parties. This is a debate for every citizen because the electoral rolls are that important in our country. Voter ID is a document which does not mention caste, religion or community. The electoral rolls cannot be revised based on the whims and fancies of a section.”
Criticising the Election Commission of India, he said it has failed in its duty to protect the rights of voters. According to him,
“The Election Commission of India is ‘deficient’ at the moment and is not protecting voters’ rights.”
Reddy reminded people that India is not a country ruled by one majority group but a diverse nation. He underlined that
“Ours is not a majoritarian state. It is a multilingual, multicultural, multireligious state. Only properly legally, constitutionally prepared electoral rolls can help protect the Constitution.”
Quoting Dr B R Ambedkar, he added that
“the Constitution should not fall into the wrong hands.”
At the same Hyderabad event, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy appealed to leaders of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to support Sudershan Reddy. He said the candidature was also about regional pride and identity, declaring,
“This candidate should be supported across party lines.”
He named leaders like Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP, Jagan Mohan Reddy of YSRCP, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, and BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, asking them to extend support to Sudershan Reddy as a Telugu leader.
On Amit Shah’s comment that Sudershan Reddy was a Naxal sympathiser, the Telangana CM replied by saying,
“Naxalism is a philosophy. If you don’t like it, you can debate against it.”
The INDIA bloc’s campaign for the Vice-Presidential elections is now gaining momentum with Sudershan Reddy positioning himself as a defender of the Constitution, democracy, and voter rights. His repeated calls for a constitutional debate have also placed pressure on his NDA rival to respond.
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