Patna: Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday claimed that the ruling issued on Salwa Judum by retired Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy, who is the INDIA bloc’s candidate for the Vice-Presidential elections, demonstrates his “leaning towards Maoism.” Reddy, along with Justice SS Nijjar, was part of an apex court bench that ordered the disbandment of Salwa Judum in July 2011, declaring the use of tribal youths as Special Police Officers in combat against Maoists as illegal and unconstitutional. “In India, the vice president holds the second-highest position. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend the mindset and ideology of the individual selected for this role.
Justice B Sudarshan Reddy’s 2011 ruling on Salwa Judum clearly indicates his sympathetic stance and inclination towards Maoism,” Prasad, the former Union law minister, stated. “Amit Shah’s comments concerning him are justified. Sudarshan Reddy’s decision significantly impeded the struggle against Maoism, and now he is the opposition’s candidate for vice president,” he added.