Key Points

Speaking at a public event here, HM Shah referred to Justice Reddy's 2011 Salwa Judum judgement, which had declared as "illegal" and "unconstitutional" the state-sponsored arming of young tribal men as special police officers in Chhattisgarh.

The ruling ordered that such militias be disbanded, stressing that the state must address the root causes of the insurgency through lawful governance rather than vigilante groups.

Revisiting that verdict, the Home Minister alleged the judgement indirectly strengthened Maoist extremists and curtailed the state's ability to counter insurgency.

"Sudershan Reddy is the person who helped Naxalism. He gave the Salwa Judum judgment. If that judgment had not been given, Naxal terrorism would have ended by 2020," the Home Minister said.

He further claimed the Congress, under pressure from its Left allies, had nominated a candidate "who supported Naxalism with a forum like the Supreme Court".

HM Shah also pointed out that Kerala, which will face Assembly elections next year, has "suffered" from Left-wing extremist activities, and urged voters to recognise the implications of the Opposition's choice.

The Vice President election is scheduled for September 9.

Justice Reddy, nominated by the Congress-led INDIA bloc, will face the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's candidate, Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan.

The election follows the resignation of incumbent Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar last month.

Justice Reddy, who retired from the Supreme Court in 2011, was part of several significant constitutional benches during his tenure.

His Salwa Judum ruling remains one of the most debated judgments on state policy towards Maoist insurgency, earning both praise for upholding constitutional rights and criticism for curbing state-led counterinsurgency initiatives.

With campaign rhetoric sharpening, HM Shah's remarks are seen as part of the BJP's effort to frame the election as a larger ideological battle between national security and civil rights approaches to internal conflict.

Earlier in the day, the Union Home Minister had a closed-door meeting with all the top leaders of the Kerala unit of the BJP and urged them to ensure that they target 25 per cent vote share at the local body polls likely to be held in December.

- IANS