VP election has become ideological fight: Ex-SC judge Reddy

IN the run-up to the sep 9 vice-presidential election, former sublime margaret court adjudicate S Sudershan Reddy, who is the articulate Opposition candidate, speaks about his criticism from a section of the ruling NDA over a 2011 verdict of the top court bench, which had included him, to disband Salwa Judum, a militia of the tribal population in Chhattisgarh which worked with police against Maoists. Edited excerpts of his interview to Saubhadra Chatterji:Has Union home minister Amit Shah’s criticism over the Salwa Judum verdict surprised you? I am not at all surprised. They are trying to set up a narrative after 14 years of the judgment. The Vice President is not a political office. It is the second highest constitutional office in India. It is a different matter how the other side perceives the character of that institution. I think it was totally unnecessary to raise this issue. You pick up something because you want to prick somebody.But even at the cost of incurring the displeasure of one of the parties, I must tell you that the government at the receiving end 14 years back was the UPA government.Are you suggesting it was not your judgment but the Supreme Court’s verdict? I may have authored the judgment, but it is the Supreme Court which is speaking. There was another judge (Justice SS Nijjar) along with me. That’s why there is a difference between what somebody says sitting in the chair and what the Supreme Court says.Is NDA all set to win the election? I don’t think it is in favour of the NDA. The contest is wide open. As far as my campaign is concerned, I am only responding to the invitations extended by the various political parties. I have met INDIA group parties and also [former Delhi CM and AAP chief] Arvind Kejriwal. He was kind enough to declare his support for me.Would you also appeal to the NDA partners, especially the parties in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana? On Tuesday, I am writing letters to all the 720 members of Parliament, including the honourable members of the NDA. That is the electoral college. It is not about the BJP or the Congress. The MPs will vote in the election. I am not a member of any political party and I don’t intend to join any party in future.What would be your message to the MPs? The other side is saying that he [NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan] is an old hand of RSS and he represents certain values. I am a liberal constitutional democrat. Therefore, it has become an ideological fight. I am committed to the Constitution of India as established by law.You carry the pocket edition of the Constitution…This book is published by the Eastern Book Company. I have been carrying it in my pocket ever since I entered the bar. I have learnt to carry this from Fali Nariman. He carried it for more than 75 years. The reason is simple — we are having a conversation and suddenly something crops up. It is always traceable to the provisions of the Constitution because I believe there is nothing in this country that is outside the Constitution.