How Opposition's V-P pick Sudershan Reddy once pulled up UPA govt over graft claims

One of the judges who passed that order, B Sudershan Reddy, 79, was on Tuesday named by the INDIA bloc of Opposition parties, as its vice presidential candidate

In 2011, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government was dealing with a raft of allegations related to corruption, it was pulled up by the Supreme Court for “sleeping” on the issue of black money, and ordered to set up a special investigation team.

Vice-Presidential Candidate & former Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy being Welcomed by MPs of Opposition Parties at Delhi airport in New Delhi on Tuesday. (HT PHOTO)

One of the judges who passed that order, B Sudershan Reddy, 79, was on Tuesday named by the INDIA bloc of Opposition parties, in which the Congress is the largest constituent (by MPs), as its vice presidential candidate.

That was one of the last orders of Reddy in the Supreme Court, where he was a judge between 2007 and 2011.

An expert on the Constitution –– he has written a book on the Preamble –– and an admirer of both BR Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru, Reddy was born in an agricultural family on July 8, 1946 at Akula Mylaram village of Kandukur block in Ranga Reddy district of Telangana (then part of the princely state of Hyderabad). Reddy graduated in law from Osmania University in Hyderabad in 1971. He enrolled as an advocate and worked under senior advocate K Pratap Reddy.

Having argued various cases in city civil courts in Hyderabad and later in the then combined high court of Andhra Pradesh, Reddy later became the government pleader on August 8, 1988 in the high court, arguing cases pertaining to the revenue department. He continued in the post till January 8, 1990.

Reddy was elected as president of Andhra Pradesh high court advocates’ association in 1993-94. He was elevated as the additional judge of the high court on May 2, 1995. And he was appointed as chief justice for Gauhati high court on December 5, 2005. On January 12, 2007, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of India; he retired on July 8, 2011.

Among his notable verdicts was one declaring Salwa Judum, a local militia propped up by the state government in Chhattisgarh to fight Maoists, as anti-constitutional. Along with justice SS Nijjar, he said arming civilians was “unethical and dangerous” and was violative of Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 21 (Right to Life).

After his retirement, he was appointed as the first Lokayukta of Goa in March 2013. He resigned from the post on personal grounds in October 2013. A staunch supporter of formation of separate Telangana, Reddy was an active participant in various movements in support of bifurcation. He also raised his voice in support of bifurcation of the combined Andhra Pradesh high court.

Madabhushi Sridhar Acharyulu, former Central Information Commissioner, who has known Reddy for over three decades by virtue of his legal profession, having worked as a professor at NALSAR University of Law, said that as a judge, Reddy was deeply committed to the rule of law and he has dedicated his life to upholding constitutional values in the Indian democratic framework. “Some judges have etched their names in history through their unwavering integrity, distinctive vision, and faith in democratic principles — justice B Sudarshan Reddy is one among them.”