‘Ended Adivasis’ right to self-defence, protected Naxals’: Amit Shah slams Sudershan Reddy over Salwa Judum judgment

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Vice Presidential elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has targeted the INDIA bloc for nominating alleged “left wing” sympathiser retired Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy saying that the latter’s judgment on Salwa Judum was the sole reason that Left Wing Extremism, which was on its death bed, managed to survive for over two decades.

In an interview, Shah also took aim at Rahul Gandhi and demanded that the Congress leader should give an explanation for the Opposition alliance deciding to pick a nominee who “sympathised with left-wing ideology” and whose ruling that “disbanded” the “armed civilian vigilante group” prevented the eradication of Naxals before 2020.

#WATCH | On INDIA alliance Vice Presidential candidate Sudershan Reddy, Union HM Amit Shah says, “He rejected Salwa Judum and ended the right of self-defence of tribals. Because of this, Naxalism lasted for more than two decades in this country. At that time, Naxalism was… pic.twitter.com/deirrEwYoR

— ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2025

The July 2011 judgment, that Justice Reddy co-authored with Justice SS Nijjar disbanded Salwa Judum in Bastar, Chhattisgarh for being illegal and unconstitutional. The ruling was delivered while BJP under chief minister Raman Singh was in power in Chhattisgarh.

Justice Reddy’s ruling said that the Salwa Judum was an “abdication of constitutional responsibilities of the State to provide appropriate security to citizens by having an appropriately trained professional police force of sufficient numbers and properly equipped on a permanent basis”.

Shah said after the judgment, “Schools that were destroyed due to Naxals, the CRPF and security forces were deployed there. They were ousted within the night with the help of the order. Security forces were attacked in many places. More than Sudershan Reddy, Rahul Gandhi must answer on this as this is the reason he (Reddy) has been picked – the left-wing ideology. Due to this judgment, the Naxals have been protected”.

Shah said the Salwa Judum was formed by Adivasis who wanted education, roads and healthcare. “It was meant to protect them, which the Supreme Court disbanded,” the Union Minister said. The Union Home Minister argued that by disbanding the vigilante group, Reddy had ended “self-defence” for Adivasis at a time when Naxalism was “gasping for breath.”

“It is there on the Supreme Court records. He disbanded Salwa Judum. He ended the right to self-defence for Adivasis. This is the reason that Naxalism has sustained for two more decades. At that time, Naxalism was on the verge of dying. This is in the apex court’s record; it is their judgment,” Shah said.

The ‘INDIA bloc’, which has also received support from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said that they are putting up an “ideological fight” against the ruling NDA who has nominated CP Radhakrishnan for the Septermber 9 Vice Presidential election.

Reddy, who served as Chief Justice of the Guwahati High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court in 2007, retired in July 2011. He filed his nomination on August 21 and will face NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan in the September 9 Vice Presidential election. (ANI)