The controversy began when Shah accused ex-judge Reddy of supporting Maoism and aiding Naxals via his Salwa Judum ruling
New Delhi
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday criticized Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on Opposition’s Vice-Presidential candidate B. Sudershan Reddy, accusing Shah of spreading falsehoods about Reddy’s role in the Salwa Judum case.
Ramesh highlighted that 20 eminent legal personalities, including retired Supreme Court judges and high court chiefs, have publicly refuted Shah’s claims. “These courageous individuals have exposed the lies regarding Justice Sudershan Reddy, the joint Opposition candidate for the Vice-Presidential election,” he said in a post on X.
In a pointed remark, Ramesh satirically called Shah a “2-in-1 WMD—a Weapon of Malicious Defamation and a Weapon of Mischievous Distortion,” while praising those who dared to speak out against him.
The controversy began after Shah alleged that Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge, had supported Maoism and aided Naxal insurgency through his ruling on Salwa Judum—a now-banned armed vigilante group in Chhattisgarh. Shah claimed that without Reddy’s judgment, Naxal terror would have been eradicated by 2020.
Sudershan Reddy refuted the allegations, clarifying that the Salwa Judum judgment was issued by the Supreme Court, not him personally. The court had disbanded the Salwa Judum group and declared the recruitment of tribal youth to fight Maoists illegal, a move widely recognised as protecting vulnerable communities.
Ramesh’s response underscores the political tension surrounding the upcoming Vice-Presidential election, with the Opposition defending Reddy’s credibility and challenging what they call misleading statements from the Union Home Minister.
