Retired judges denounce Amit Shah’s remarks on Justice Sudershan Reddy

A group of 18 retired judges, including former Supreme Court and High Court justices, has issued a joint statement denouncing Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks regarding the 2011 Salwa Judum judgment.

Shah had accused the opposition's Vice-Presidential candidate and former Supreme Court Justice B Sudershan Reddy, of "supporting Naxalism," claiming that left-wing extremism might have been eliminated by 2020 had the judgment not been delivered. The retired judges called such statements an “unfortunate” and “prejudicial misinterpretation” of the court ruling.

The letter, endorsed by former justices such as Kurien Joseph, Madan B Lokur, and J Chelameswar, as well as several former high court chief justices and judges, warned that misrepresenting a Supreme Court ruling by a high-ranking political leader could create a “chilling effect” on judicial independence.

They urged civil and respectful discourse during high-stakes constitutional elections.

In response, Justice B Sudershan Reddy clarified that the judgment in question was a verdict of the Supreme Court delivered by a bench, not his individual opinion. He implied that had Shah read the full judgment, the minister might have refrained from making the comments.

The 2011 judgment of the Salwa Judum verdict declared unconstitutional the practice of arming tribal youths as Special Police Officers in Chhattisgarh to fight Maoist insurgency.

Delivered by the bench presided over by Justice Reddy and Justice SS Nijjar, the ruling ordered the disbandment of the Salwa Judum militia and upheld the principles of equality and right to life under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.