New Delhi [India], August 26 : The Chairman of the All India Bar Association (AIBA), Adish C Aggarwala, has strongly opposed the statement issued by 18 retired judges who criticised the Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent comments regarding the candidature of Justice B Sudershan Reddy for the post of Vice President of India.
The AIBA chief, Adish C Aggarwala, who is also a senior advocate and a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said that once a judge retires and chooses to join politics, he cannot expect the same immunity and respect that comes with judicial office.
According to him, such individuals must be open to fair criticism for their political views and actions. "Protecting a retired judge from public scrutiny after entering politics amounts to demanding a privilege that does not exist," he stated.
He clarified that the Home Minister's observations were neither personal nor insulting. Instead, they should be seen as a reminder that judges, while in service, must always remain careful that their judgments and pronouncements do not compromise the country's unity, security, or sovereignty.
Highlighting the broader issue, the AIBA chairman stressed that judicial independence is essential. However, he added that judicial decisions often carry consequences beyond the courtroom, particularly in areas linked to national security and public order.
He said it was disappointing that some retired judges were attempting to politicise what he described as a "fair and balanced" comment by a senior constitutional authority, as this could weaken public trust in the judiciary's impartiality.
Reiterating the AIBA's position, he said the association stands for judicial accountability, protection of national security, and the principle that no individual, whether a judge, politician, or public figure, should be above fair criticism.
Earlier, Amit Shah targeted the INDIA bloc for nominating Retired Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy, saying that the latter's judgment on Salwa Judum was the sole reason that Left Wing Extremism managed to survive for over two decades.
In an interview with ANI, Shah also took aim at Rahul Gandhi and demanded that the Congress leader should give an explanation for the Opposition alliance deciding to pick a nominee who "sympathised with left-wing ideology" and whose ruling that "disbanded" the "armed civilian vigilante group" prevented the eradication of Naxals before 2020.
Shah said after the judgement, "Schools that were destroyed due to Naxals, the CRPF and security forces were deployed there. They were ousted within the night with the help of the order. Security forces were attacked in many places. More than Sudershan Reddy, Rahul Gandhi must answer on this, as this is the reason he (Reddy) has been picked - the left-wing ideology. Due to this judgment, the Naxals have been protected."