Sushma says India will go out of its way to get justice for Kulbhushan
New Delhi: Cutting across party lines, Parliament on Tuesday united against Pakistan for giving the death sentence to former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav and vowed India would “go out of its way” to save him.
While Ms Swaraj cautioned Pakistan and made it clear that if the death sentence was carried out, it could have “serious consequences” on the bilateral relations, home minister Rajnath Singh condemned the Pakistan court’s verdict and said the “government will do everything possible to get justice for Jadhav”.
Mr Singh reiterated, “Jadhav will get justice.” Asserting that India would “go out of its way” to ensure justice for Mr Jadhav, the external affairs minister yet again warned Pakistan that India would treat his execution as “pre-meditated murder”.
She claimed that the charges against Mr Jadhav, who was doing business in Iran and was kidnapped and taken to Pakistan, were “concocted” and the trial against him was “farcical”, leading to an “indefensible verdict”.
Ms Swaraj said, “Let me state clearly that the government and the people of this country would view very seriously the possibility that an innocent Indian citizen was facing the death sentence in Pakistan without due process and in violation of basic norms of law, justice and international relations”.
Sushma to move Pakistan Supreme Court
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj added: “Kulbhushan Jadhav is not just a son of his parents but also a son of this country, and to save him (if required) we will appeal in the Supreme Court (of Pakistan) and provide the best lawyers.”
Questioning the trial, she said Pakistan had sought India’s assistance to obtain evidence for its investigation and “levelled ridiculous charges against senior Indian officials who had no connection to this issue”.
Talking of Pakistan's refusal to provide consular access to Mr Jadhav, the minister said Pakistan “suddenly announced the death sentence”.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, home minister, Rajnath said “all norms of law and justice were ignored by Pakistan”. He informed that House that “Pakistan had briefed the media (that) Mr Jadhav was holding a valid Indian passport”, and wondered “why a spy would carry a valid passport”, saying this “exposes Pakistan’s action and intention”.
Though there was an unanimity among members over the issue, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, took the opportunity to take a jab at the government. Referring to PM Narendra Modi’s attending the wedding of Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's daughter in Lahore, Mr Kharge quipped: “Without an invitation, you can attend a marriage, but you cannot meet him (Sharif) on the issue.”
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan then said since everyone was “equally concerned” about Mr Jadhav’s fate, “there should be no spat”
