Amit Shahโ criticizes Opposition’s Vice Presidential nominee, Sudarshan Reddy, Over Past Ruling
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Kochi, India – August 22, 2025 – Union Home Minister Amit Shah sharply criticized sudarshan Reddy, the opposition’s candidate forโ Vice โPresident of India, alleging the former Supreme Court Justice โคsupported โNaxalite ideologies through a previous court decision. The remarks came during a conclaveโค at the Malayalamโฃ news โฃwebsite Manorama in Kochi on Friday.
Allegations of Supporting Extremism
Shah asserted that the Congress โคparty selected Reddyโฃ due to pressure from leftist factions.He specifically referenced Reddy’s involvement in a 2011 Supreme Court ruling concerning the Salwa Judum, a โcontroversial anti-Naxalite โฃmovement in Chhattisgarh. โข “The opposition’s vice-presidential candidate, Sudarshan Reddy, โคdelivered the Salwa โJudum judgment, effectively supporting leftist extremism and Naxalism,” Shah stated.โข He further claimed that had the ruling been diffrent, extremism โขin the region could haveโ been eradicated โby โ2020.
Kerala, Shah noted, has experienced the repercussionsโค of Naxalism and extremism, and he โขbelieves voters in the state will recognize the implications of choosing a candidate with this history.
The Salwa Judum Ruling Explained
In โ2011, Justices Sudershan Reddy and S.S. Nijjar presided over a two-judgeโข bench that ruled against the โlegality of Salwa Judum. The court steadfast โthat the group, comprised โฃof tribal youth appointed as Special Police Officers (SPOs) โขby the Chhattisgarh government to combat Maoist insurgency, was unconstitutional โคand illegal. โฃthis decision aimed to address concerns about humanโค rights abuses and extrajudicial killings associated with the group. [Citation:โฃ[Citation:[Citation:โฃ[Citation:Madhu Kishwar โ& โคOrs vs Stateโค of Chhattisgarh & Ors, Supreme Court of India]
Did You โknow? โฃ Salwa Judum, translating to “Peace March,” was initially โpresented as a spontaneous uprising of villagers against Maoist insurgents, butโ later faced accusations of being state-sponsored and involving human rights violations.
Vice Presidential election Details
The upcoming Vice Presidential election will pit Reddy, backed by the INDIA bloc, against C.P. Radhakrishnan, the nominee of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Polling is scheduled for September 9, with resultsโ to be announced on the โsame day. The deadline for filing nominations was August โ21, โขwith a withdrawal deadline of August 25.
The election became necessary after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the vice Presidential post on July 21, citing health reasons. The โprocess is governed by articles 64 and 68 of the Constitutionโค of โคIndia andโ the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.
The Vice President is elected โby an electoral college โconsistingโข ofโฃ members ofโ both houses of Parliament,โ utilizing a system โof proportional โdepiction with a single transferable vote and a secret ballot, as outlined in article 66(1) of the Constitution. [Citation: Parliamentary Research Service (PRS) Legislative Research]
Pro Tip: Understanding the compositionโข of the electoral college is crucial โขfor analyzing the potential outcomes of the Vice Presidential election.
Key Election Dates and Details
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Nomination Filing Deadline | August 21, 2025 |
| Nomination Withdrawal Deadline | August 25, 2025 |
| Polling Date | September 9, 2025 |
| Result Proclamation | Septemberโ 9, 2025 |
What impact will this controversy โhave onโค the Vice Presidential election outcome? And how might the Salwa Judum ruling continue to shape debatesโฃ around counter-insurgency strategies inโค India?
The debate surrounding Sudarshan Reddy’s past ruling highlights โthe complex challenges of balancing security concerns with human rights considerations in regions affected by Naxalite โคactivity. The Salwa Judumโข case remains a significant point of contention, raising questions about the role of state-sponsored vigilante groups and the protection of tribal communities. The upcoming Vice Presidential election is poised to be a closely watched contest, with implications forโ the political landscape and the โคfuture direction of India’s internal security policies.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sudarshan Reddy and the VP Election
- Who is Sudarshan Reddy? Sudarshan Reddyโค is a retired Supreme Courtโ Justice and the โopposition’s candidate for Vice President of India.
- What was the Salwa Judum ruling? The Salwa Judum ruling, delivered โby Justice Reddy and โJustice Nijjar, declared the Salwa Judum anti-Naxalite group illegal and unconstitutional.
- Why isโ Amit Shah criticizing Reddy? Amit Shah alleges that Reddy’s Salwa Judum ruling supported Naxalism and โhindered efforts to eradicate extremism.
- When is theโ Viceโ Presidential election? โ Polling for the Vice Presidentialโข election isโฃ scheduled for โฃseptember 9, 2025.
- How โขis the Vice President elected? The Viceโฃ President is elected by an electoral college โฃcomprising members of Parliament through aโ proportional representation system.
We encourage โyou to share this article โwith your network, join the conversationโค in the comments below, and subscribe to โourโค newsletter for the latest updates on this developing โstory and other important news from aroundโข the world.