‘SC’s judgement, not mine’: Sudershan Reddy on Amit Shah's criticism of Salwa Judum verdict

Sudershan Reddy said, “Judgement on Salwa Judum was Supreme Court's, not mine. I do not wish to join issue with Home Minister.”

Published on: Aug 23, 2025, 15:41:47 IST

By HT News Desk

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INDIA bloc vice presidential nominee and former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy on Saturday responded to home minister Amit Shah’s criticism of the Salwa Judum ruling, clarifying that the judgment was delivered by the Supreme Court and not by him personally.

INDIA bloc's VP candidate Sudershan Reddy responds to Amit Shah's criticism of Salwa Judum verdict

Speaking to news agency PTI, Reddy said, “Judgement on Salwa Judum was Supreme Court's, not mine. I do not wish to join issue with Home Minister.”

He added that “there must be decency in debate” and stressed that the upcoming vice presidential election was “not a contest between two individuals, but two different ideologies.”

Shah accuses Reddy of aiding Naxalism

A day earlier, Shah had targeted the INDIA bloc’s candidate, alleging that Reddy’s ruling on Salwa Judum had strengthened Left-wing extremism.

“Sudershan Reddy is the person who helped Naxalism. He gave Salwa Judum judgment. If the Salwa Judum judgement had not been given, the Naxal terrorism would have ended by 2020. He is the person who was inspired by the ideology that gave Salwa Judam judgment,” Amit Shah said, according to PTI.

The home minister was referring to a 2011 Supreme Court verdict authored by Justice Reddy that declared the practice of deploying tribal youths as Special Police Officers – popularly known as Koya Commandos or Salwa Judum – to fight Maoist insurgents as illegal and unconstitutional.

The top court had also directed that the SPOs be immediately disarmed.

The remarks come at a time when Reddy is ready to face NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan in the Vice Presidential election.

The INDIA bloc formally announced Sudershan Reddy as its candidate for the polls scheduled for September 9. The announcement was made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi after a meeting of the alliance partners.

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HT News Desk
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