Amit Shah Attacks Opposition VP Candidate Sudarshan Reddy Over Salwa Judum Judgment, Calls Him a Leftist

With the Vice Presidential elections scheduled for 9 September, political sparring has intensified. The NDA has fielded CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate, while the opposition INDIA alliance has nominated former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a sharp attack on Reddy, citing his 2011 Supreme Court judgment on the controversial Salwa Judum movement in Chhattisgarh. Shah said, “Justice Reddy rejected Salwa Judum and abolished the right of tribals to self-defense. Because of this, Naxalism lasted in the country for over two decades. This decision was influenced by leftist ideology, and perhaps that is why Congress chose him as their candidate.”

The Home Minister further claimed that had the Salwa Judum verdict not been given, the fight against left-wing extremism could have ended before 2020. He also linked the Congress’s choice of Reddy to pressure from leftist forces, saying it would reduce their electoral chances, especially in Kerala.

The controversy stems from the 2011 Supreme Court ruling in which Justice Sudarshan Reddy declared it unconstitutional and illegal for the state to arm tribal youth as Special Police Officers (SPOs) under Salwa Judum or by any other name. The Court ordered that SPOs be immediately disarmed, holding that the policy violated constitutional rights and exposed tribals to exploitation.

Responding to Shah’s criticism, Reddy said, “I do not wish to engage directly with the Home Minister on this issue. My duty as a judge was to uphold the Constitution. The judgment is not mine alone, but of the Supreme Court. I would request him to read the 40-page decision carefully before making such remarks.”

Salwa Judum, launched in 2005 with state support, was aimed at countering Naxalism in Chhattisgarh by mobilizing tribal youth against Maoists. However, it drew severe criticism for widespread human rights violations, displacement of villagers, and violence in Bastar.