Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Friday accused Congress-led alliance Vice-President candidate Justice B Sudershan Reddy of “supporting” Naxalism. Speaking at the Manorama News conclave in Kochi, Shah claimed that if the 2011 Salwa Judum judgment delivered by Justice Reddy had not been given, Naxal terrorism in India would have ended by 2020.

Justice Reddy, in the Supreme Court ruling, had declared that using tribal youths as Special Police Officers—whether called Koya Commandos, Salwa Judum, or any other designation—in the fight against Maoist insurgents was illegal and unconstitutional, and ordered their immediate disarmament. Shah said that with the Congress choosing Reddy as its VP candidate, the party’s prospects in Kerala would further diminish.

Shah also commented on recent anti-graft bills in Parliament, questioning whether the Prime Minister should be expected to govern from jail and referencing the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during his tenure. He criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for publicly tearing up a 2013 ordinance that provided relief to disqualified MPs and MLAs, alleging political opportunism in his actions.

The Home Minister further defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections, accusing Congress of creating unnecessary controversy. He said the Congress had failed to raise objections during the process despite opportunities at constituency, district, and state levels. Shah emphasized the need to remove deceased or bogus voters from rolls, citing 22 lakh dead entries in Bihar.

Shah’s remarks linked political accountability, Naxalism, and electoral reforms, underlining BJP’s criticism of Congress leadership and its choices for key constitutional posts.