Overview

• Amit Shah alleged that B. Sudershan Reddy’s 2011 judgment striking down Salwa Judum ‘helped Naxalism’ and claimed the insurgency could have ended by 2020 without it.
• Reddy responded that he authored the opinion for the Supreme Court bench and noted it withstood attempts to overturn it, urging decency in the campaign debate.
• The 2011 ruling held that arming tribal youths as Special Police Officers was illegal and unconstitutional and ordered their disarmament, citing constitutional limits on state action.
• Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma echoed the BJP line, asserting the decision led to increased violence in Bastar, a claim the opposition disputes.
• The vice-presidential election is on September 9, with Reddy facing the NDA’s C. P. Radhakrishnan, as Congress leaders defend Reddy’s record and call the BJP’s accusations baseless.