Ravi Shankar Prasad links Sudershan Reddy’s Salwa Judum verdict to Maoist sympathy

BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that former Supreme Court judge and opposition VP nominee B Sudershan Reddy’s 2011 verdict disbanding Salwa Judum reflected a tilt towards Maoism, reigniting debate over judicial neutrality and political choices

Patna: Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday alleged that the verdict given on Salwa Judum by retired Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, who is the INDIA bloc’s candidate for the vice presidential polls, reflected his “inclination towards Maoism”.

Reddy, along with Justice SS Nijjar, was part of an apex court bench that had in July 2011 ordered the disbanding of Salwa Judum, ruling that using tribal youths as Special Police Officers in the fight against Maoists was illegal and unconstitutional.

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“In India, the office of the vice president holds the second-highest position. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand the mindset and ideology of the person chosen for this post. Justice B Sudershan Reddy’s 2011 judgement on Salwa Judum, clearly reflects his compassionate attitude and inclination towards Maoism,” said Prasad, the former Union law minister.

“Amit Shah’s remark against him is appropriate. Sudarshan Reddy’s decision had dealt a major blow to the fight against Maoism, and today the same Sudarshan Reddy is the opposition’s vice-presidential candidate,” he said.

Shah had accused Reddy of “supporting” Naxalism. He had claimed that Left Wing Extremism would have ended by 2020 in the absence of the Salwa Judum judgement. Prasad said the then UPA government led by Manmohan Singh had supported the stand of the BJP government in Chhattisgarh in the Salwa Judum case.

“But, the same party and its allies have now made him the candidate for the VP post,” he said. Prasad said words used in the verdict “reflect” the mindset and approach of the author of the judgment.

“Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and the guidance of Amit Shah, Naxalism has been brought to the brink of its end. The issue concerning Sudershan Reddy has resurfaced today because he is now a candidate for the post of vice president,” he said.

A group of 18 retired judges has termed Shah’s attack on Reddy “unfortunate” and said it would be wise to refrain from “name-calling”. When asked about his comments on it, Prasad said, “Being a lawyer, I know that the laws give permission to analyse and review any judgment. There is nothing wrong with this.”