Chennai, Aug 19 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday hailed Sudershan Reddy, INDIA bloc’s vice-presidential candidate, as a champion of civil liberties and social justice.
Stalin said Reddy’s candidature strengthens the collective resolve to safeguard democracy and protect the spirit of the Constitution at a time when institutions are under strain.
Justice B Sudershan Reddy, a retired judge of the Supreme Court who was declared as the INDIA bloc’s vice-presidential candidate, began his professional journey as an advocate focused on civil and constitutional matters in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The CM said: “A jurist of integrity, independence, and as a champion of civil liberties and social justice, he has upheld constitutional values throughout his career.” All the independent institutions that were meant to safeguard Indian democracy have been turned into subsidiary bodies of the ruling party, and the very Constitution itself is in danger, he alleged in a social media post.
In such a situation, the responsibility before the nation is to support only one who believes in India’s fundamental ideals of secularism, federalism, social justice, and unity in diversity.
“The Union BJP government has been continuously inflicting injustice on Tamil Nadu — refusing to accept the state’s rightful demands such as exemption from NEET, recognition of Keezhadi’s (Keeladi) antiquity, fairness in fund devolution, not halting education funds, and more.
Through Governors, it has been running a parallel government and blocking the functioning of State governments, while also engaging in efforts to weaken institutions of higher education.” The DMK has been consistently and vociferously raising its voice in Parliament against the unconstitutional denial of State rights, the centralisation of power in the Union, the rising tide of hate propaganda, and the relentless imposition of Hindi and Sanskrit — all of which “dig a grave for the Constitution and attempt to bury it,” he alleged.
The secular-spirited people of Tamil Nadu have, in successive elections, overwhelmingly voted for the MPs and MLAs of the DMK alliance to defend the rights of the State and safeguard the Constitution.
This decision stands as both a reaffirmation of the people’s faith and a mark of respect for their mandate and sentiment.
“As someone who can create space for constructive debates in Parliament, conduct the House giving rightful place to the voice of the opposition, and as a democrat who has faith in the Constitution and in the principles of federalism, pluralism, social justice, and linguistic rights — Sudershan Reddy stands.
As the opposite of anti-federalism, authoritarianism, and the trend of spreading hatred, Sudershan Reddy stands.” PTI VGN VGN ROH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.