Amit Shah Slams Opposition Over VP Candidate, Salwa Judum Verdict, 130th Amendment Bill

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a sharp attack on the Opposition while speaking on a range of issues including Vice Presidential candidate Sudershan Reddy, the resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and the upcoming 130th Amendment Bill.

Referring to the INDIA bloc's Vice Presidential pick, Shah accused Sudershan Reddy of weakening tribal rights and aiding the survival of Naxalism. Speaking to ANI, Shah said, "He rejected Salwa Judum and ended the right of self-defence of tribals. Because of this, Naxalism lasted for more than two decades in this country.

At that time, Naxalism was breathing its last. The tribals formed Salwa Judum to protect themselves. The Supreme Court rejected it. After this, the schools that were destroyed due to Naxalites, CRPF and security forces were present in those schools. They threw everyone out overnight by issuing an order. There were attacks on security forces at many places. Rahul Gandhi should answer these two judgments more than Sudershan Reddy..."

The 2011 Supreme Court ruling, authored by Justices Reddy and S.S. Nijjar, had declared the use of tribal youth as Special Police Officers in anti-Maoist operations unconstitutional and ordered the disbanding of Salwa Judum, a controversial Chhattisgarh-based anti-Naxal militia.

Questioning the Opposition's choice, Shah added, "...I believe leftist ideology must have been the criterion (for selecting Sudershan Reddy)."

On NDA's Vice Presidential Candidate and RSS

Rejecting attempts to link the NDA's Vice Presidential candidate to the RSS, Shah said, "The Prime Minister has a connection with RSS, I also have a connection with RSS. Has the country chosen us because we are from RSS? Is having connection with RSS a minus point? Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani ji, Modi ji are also connected with RSS..."

On speculation that the choice was aimed at Tamil Nadu, Shah clarified, "No, it is not like that... It is natural for the Vice Presidential candidate to come from the South because the President was from the East, the Prime Minister was from the West and the North. It should not be seen from this perspective. CP Radhakrishnan has had a very long political career. He has been a member of Parliament twice, the President of our party, Governor of Jharkhand, Telangana, Pondicherry, Maharashtra..."

On Jagdeep Dhankhar's Resignation

Responding to questions over former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation, Shah dismissed Opposition criticism. He said, "...'Baat ka batangad nahi banana chahiye' (don't make a fuss about it). Dhankhar ji was on a constitutional post and during his tenure, he did good work according to the constitution. He has resigned due to his personal health problem. One should not try to stretch the issue too much and find something..."

Shah reiterated, "Dhankhar Sahab's resignation letter is self-explanatory. He has resigned citing his health, and he has thanked ministers, the Prime Minister and all the members from his heart for his good tenure..."

On Rahul Gandhi and Opposition Outreach

The Home Minister also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, remarking that there is a big difference between managing a programme and engaging with people.

On Parliament Security and CISF

Asked about the deployment of CISF inside Parliament, Shah clarified the decision was taken after a past security breach. He said, "Any force inside the House is under the Speaker... The marshals enter the House only when the Speaker orders them. This change happened after a big incident when some Leftist people had sprayed inside the Parliament... It was decided that a special squad would be formed for the security of the Parliament within CISF... They (Opposition) need excuses and they want to create confusion among the public. But they will definitely not succeed, because our direct interaction with the public is many times more than them. After losing three elections, I feel that the level of frustration has made them lose common sense..."

On the 130th Amendment Bill

Shah expressed confidence about the passage of the 130th Amendment Bill, saying, "I am sure it will be passed. There will be many people in the Congress party and in the opposition who will support morality and maintain the moral ground..."

Explaining the government's position, he added, "The ruling party alone cannot decide how the Parliament should function. If the opposition fails to create a healthy debate environment for any bill or constitutional amendment, the people of the country will determine whether or not this system is right. When it was decided that this bill would not be passed, it will go to the JPC... I had already announced that the government has decided that this bill will go to the JPC. A JPC of both the houses will be formed with 31 members, including 21 members from Lok Sabha, 10 members from the Rajya Sabha..."

Asked if NDA allies including Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar back the bill, he confirmed, "Yes, everyone agrees. They did not get a chance to come forward (in support). The debate was not allowed to take place (in Parliament). When a JPC is convened and a debate takes place in the parliament, all parties will present their views..."

Targeting Rahul Gandhi once again, Shah remarked, "...What was the justification of Rahul Gandhi for tearing the ordinance brought by Manmohan Singh to save Lalu Yadav? If there was morality that day, then is it not there today because you have lost three consecutive elections? The standards of morality are not connected with the victory or defeat of elections. The standards of morality are always stable in their place, just like the Sun and the Moon..."

With inputs from ANI