Union Home Minister Amit Shah has intensified his attack on INDIA bloc’s Vice Presidential candidate, Justice Sudarshan Reddy. He alleged that Reddy’s decision to strike down Salwa Judum helped Naxalism survive for two more decades.
In an interview with ANI, Shah said that Salwa Judum — a people’s movement formed by tribals to protect themselves from Maoists — was a shield for locals against extremists. According to him, Justice Reddy’s verdict to dismantle it gave Maoists a fresh lease of life.
“I never said Sudarshan Reddy is pro-Naxal. But he ended a self-defense system of tribals. Because of his verdict, Naxalism continued for over twenty years. Even Supreme Court records prove this,” Shah said.
He further accused Reddy of weakening security forces at a crucial time. “Schools damaged by Naxals were being used by CRPF and other security forces. But Justice Reddy’s orders removed them overnight. Soon after, Maoists launched multiple attacks. Clearly, his ruling gave protection to Maoists,” Shah added.
On the NDA side, Shah defended Vice Presidential candidate K. Radhakrishnan, saying his RSS background is not a negative point. He rejected claims that Radhakrishnan was chosen just to help BJP gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu, calling such talk baseless.
Shah also clarified that former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned purely due to health reasons, dismissing other speculations.
