'Want it to be decent election', says Oppn V-P pick Sudershan Reddy; advices Amit Shah to read Salwa Judum judgment

Reddy said he wished Shah read the judgment, which runs up to 40 pages. "If he had read the judgement, perhaps he would not have made that comment. That's all I say and leave it there..." (Image: PTI)

Opposition vice presidential candidate B Sudershan Reddy on Saturday said there was a "deficit in democracy" in the country and the Constitution was "under challenge" as he pledged to defend and protect it.

On Amit Shah's attack on him over the Salwa Judum verdict, Reddy said, "I do not wish to join an issue directly with the Honourable Home Minister of India, whose constitutional duty and obligation is to protect the life, liberty and property of every citizen, irrespective of ideological differences. Secondly, I have authored the judgement. The judgement is not mine, the judgement is of the Supreme Court."

Reddy said he wished Shah read the judgment, which runs up to 40 pages. "If he had read the judgement, perhaps he would not have made that comment. That's all I say and leave it there... There must be decency in the debate," he said.

In an interview to PTI, Reddy dwelt on a range of issues -- from how his candidature came about, the debate on the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble to the Constitution, to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's accusation that he supported Naxalism.

He said disruptions in Parliament were essential in a democracy, but cautioned that they must not become an integral part of the democratic process.

The former Supreme Court judge said, earlier there was talk of a deficit economy, but now there is a "deficit in democracy" and claimed that though India continues to be a constitutional democracy, it is "under strain." He welcomed the debate on whether the Constitution is under attack.

Reddy said democracy is less about clash between individuals and more about clash between ideas, and wished ties between the government and the Opposition were better.

Reddy, a former chief justice of the Gauhati High Court, said his "journey of upholding the Constitution continues, ultimately culminating in, if given an opportunity, to protect and defend the Constitution."

"I consider this journey to be the same, ultimately culminating in, if given an opportunity, to protect and defend the Constitution… Hitherto, I was upholding the Constitution and that is the oath administered to a judge...So this journey is nothing new to me," he told PTI.

He said his unanimous candidature by the Opposition was a matter of honour. "First, it represents diversity. Secondly, the unanimous choice. Thirdly, in terms of voting strength, if you make an analysis, they represent more than 63-64 per cent of the population. What else could be an honour," he said.

He also told ANI that he wants these polls to be one of the most decent in recent times, where there should be no acrimony or personal accusations.

He said he never expected to contest the Vice-President election, noting that the proposal to do so came from the Congress party.

"...I had never thought that I would contest the Vice-President elections...The move first came from the Congress party. Some important functionaries of the Congress party set the ball rolling and I expressed my view that it may be difficult for me to be a candidate of any particular political party but if the parties of the INDIA alliance agree and consider me as a candidate, then I will contest," he said.

"I want this to be one of the most decent elections held in recent times in India. No acrimony, no personal accusations, no comments about individuals, because a person aspiring to sit in that high constitutional office should practice what they preach," the INDIA Bloc candidate added.

On the argument that top constitutional posts should be filled by consensus that reflects national unity, he told PTI, "I wish there could have been a consensus. But you know the polity as it stands is a fractured one. In the circumstances, perhaps it is inevitable, leading to this contest."

Reddy said, "Earlier, we used to talk about a deficit economy, (now) there is a deficit in democracy. I do not say that India is no longer a democratic country. I don't subscribe to that. We still continue to be a constitutional democracy, but under strain."

He said earlier treasury and opposition benches used to coordinate on many national issues. "Unfortunately, we don't find that today."

He said the VP election is not a contest between him and NDA's C P Radhakrishnan, but a contest representing "two different ideologies." "... Here is a person, a quintessential RSS man… So far as I am concerned, I do not subscribe to that ideology and I am far, far, far, far away from it. I am essentially a liberal constitutional democrat. This is the area or rather the arena for the contest where the fight goes on," he said.

While talking to ANI, Reddy said, "This is not a battle, it is a clash of ideas... The other side was propagating that there is a person here who has been a full member of the RSS all his life, so I disagree with that ideology, not with CP Radhakrishnan ji."

He added that he has nothing personal against NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan, "There is nothing personal between CP Radhakrishnan and me. We have never even met each other. So I wanted this to be a decent contest, not between individuals but between two different ideologies..."

Reddy highlighted ideological differences and said, "I have no business to like or dislike any ideology, but I have my serious differences with the way it (RSS) functions, because I am a liberal constitutional democrat. I believe in the idea of secularism, social justice and BabaSaheb's ideology of fraternity..."

He also quoted former BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who said "disruption also is a legitimate political activity and a parliamentary practice," to champion disruption as a form of dissent.

"Disruption is nothing but one form of dissent. If you are not allowed to speak or express your views, this is one form of speaking. That's how I look at the disruption. Not that I wish that disruption should become an essential and an integral part of democratic process," Reddy said.

He also threw his support behind the caste survey, saying one has to first find out the percentage of those who need to be succoured.

On the controversy over inclusion of 'socialist', 'secular' in the Preamble, he said, according to him the expressions have made things explicit, which is otherwise inbuilt in the provisions of the Constitution.

"Both the words which are made explicit, the ideas contained in the Constitution are welcome. It is true that the amendment came, that is 42nd Amendment, when emergency was invoked. But, one must remember, the Jana Sangh which formed the government later, unanimously approved it. Therefore, one fails to understand with what intention that debate is being triggered," he said.

On different narratives on Gandhi, Nehru and Ambedkar, Reddy said if you read the three superficially, some misconceptions and misunderstanding come to mind.

"Quintessentially, all three of them were great Democrats, Republicans and believed in the ethics and morals of the Constitution. I do not think it would be in the interest of the nation to divide them into three segments. And one supporting and the other opposing and creating a false narrative is not in the nation's interest," he stressed.

On Thursday, the INDIA bloc's Vice-Presidential nominee and former Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy filed his nomination in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and several other leaders of the alliance were also present.

Earlier, the INDIA bloc picked former Supreme Court Judge, Justice B Sudershan Reddy as its candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential elections slated to take place on September 9.

The announcement was made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital following the INDIA bloc meeting.

Reddy will be contesting against NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan.

With inputs from PTI and ANI