Sudershan Reddy Counters Amit Shah’s Criticism
Reddy clarifies Salwa Judum verdict was Supreme Court’s.
Former Supreme Court Justice B Sudershan Reddy has responded to sharp criticism from Home Minister Amit Shah, who accused him of “supporting” Naxalism through the 2011 Salwa Judum judgment. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Reddy clarified that the verdict, which declared the use of tribal youths as Special Police Officers (SPOs) in the fight against Maoist insurgents as illegal and unconstitutional, was a decision of the Supreme Court, not his alone.
Shah, speaking in Kerala on Friday, claimed that the Salwa Judum ruling, delivered by a bench comprising Reddy and Justice S S Nijjar, hindered efforts to curb Left Wing extremism, asserting that Naxal terrorism could have been eradicated by 2020 without it. Reddy, the Opposition’s vice presidential candidate, dismissed the accusations, urging the Home Minister to read the full 40-page judgment before commenting. “I do not wish to join issue directly with the Honourable Home Minister, whose duty is to protect every citizen’s life, liberty, and property,” Reddy said. “The judgment is not mine; it is of the Supreme Court.”
Reddy emphasized that he co-authored the ruling alongside Justice Nijjar and noted that repeated attempts to have it overruled were unsuccessful. Trained to let judgments speak for themselves, he refrained from defending the verdict’s merits, stating, “It is for the people to judge, not me. If the Home Minister had read the entire judgment, perhaps he would not have made those remarks.”
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Maintaining a tone of restraint, Reddy stressed the importance of decorum in public discourse. “There must be decency in the debate,” he said, choosing not to escalate the controversy further. The Salwa Judum case, which led to the disbanding of the controversial anti-Maoist militia in Chhattisgarh, remains a polarizing topic, with critics arguing it weakened counter-insurgency efforts, while supporters view it as a defense of constitutional rights.
As political tensions rise, Reddy’s measured response underscores his commitment to judicial integrity and public decorum, even in the face of high-profile criticism. The debate over the Salwa Judum judgment continues to highlight the complex interplay between security, law, and ideology in India’s fight against Naxalism.
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