Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday accused retired Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s nominee for the Vice President election, of “supporting Naxalism.”

At an event in Kerala, Shah referred to Justice Reddy’s landmark 2011 Salwa Judum judgment, in which he had ruled that the state-sponsored militia created by arming young men from tribal communities as “special police officers” was “illegal” and “unconstitutional.” Justice Reddy had ordered the disarmament of these militias, noting that they could not replace proper law enforcement and urging the Chhattisgarh government to tackle the root causes of the Naxal movement.

Shah claimed that the ruling had effectively aided Naxal groups, arguing that a properly armed militia could have eliminated the extremist movement that government agencies are still grappling with today. “Sudershan Reddy is the person who helped Naxalism. He gave the Salwa Judum judgment. If that judgement had not been given... Naxal terrorism would have ended by 2020. He is the person who, inspired by that ideology, gave the judgment,” the Home Minister asserted.

He further criticised the Congress for nominating Justice Reddy, saying, “The people of Kerala will certainly see that the Congress, under pressure from Left parties, is fielding a candidate who supported Naxalism with a forum like the Supreme Court.” Shah added that Kerala, which will hold Assembly elections next year, has been “suffering” from Naxal movements, highlighting the political angle ahead of the polls.

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The Vice President election, scheduled for September 9, will see Justice Reddy contest against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s candidate, Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan. Much attention has been paid to the southern origins of both candidates, with parties aiming to leverage regional representation ahead of elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Initially, the INDIA bloc was expected to nominate a candidate from Tamil Nadu, but it ultimately chose Justice Reddy, who hails from Hyderabad. Speaking to NDTV this week, Reddy said, “No personal attacks are expected. I won't make any personal remark... and I hope Radhakrishnan will also refrain. He is very experienced, has been around for a long time.”

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He also dismissed any attempt to turn the contest into a regional rivalry. “What is this Tamil Nadu vs Telangana? We are both Indian citizens, and India has no separate citizenship for Tamil Nadu and Telangana. You (the media) are setting a narrative,” he said.

The election will fill the position left vacant by Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned last month citing health reasons.