UN, US should intervene in Jadhav case, says Athawale
SPY CASE Hits out at Pakistan for not paying heed to India’s dossiers on terror funding, aid
Minister of State for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday accused Pakistan of spreading terror in India and of wrongly accusing Kulbhushan jhadav of being a spy.
Athawale also sought the intervention of the United States and the United Nation to prevent the hanging of Jadhav, accused of being an Indian spy by Pakistan and sentenced to death.
“UN and the US should take cognisance of what is happening. They need to pay attention to what is being done by Pakistan,” minister who represents Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha said.
“Pakistan is deliberately poking India, “he said, adding that India gave Mumbai attack accused Ajmal Kasab a chance to legal resource, despite evidence to indicate his terror links.
He hit out at Pakistan for not paying heed to India’s dossiers on terror being funded and aided from its soil.
Athawale said the despite India presenting proof Pakistan has not acted against terrorists, but has in haste and without giving evidence declared Jadhav a spy and sentenced him to death.
Meanwhile, noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani has said India must seek from Pakistan a copy of the judgement awarding the death sentence to Jadhav so the grounds on which he has been convicted are known.
“We want to know whether the sentence is right, and right as in, whether the conviction is right, then the question comes of what kind of punishment. Suppose he has been convicted on stupid evidence, then that makes a much stronger case for India.”
The eminent criminal lawyer was speaking on the sidelines of a conference on ‘Improving Indo-Pak Relations’ at the India
“Reactions are flying thick and fast from every side, and media is also reacting to it strongly. But, one must know on what evidence he has been convicted, first of all.”
“I should read what is the charge and what is the evidence on which they (Pakistan) have acted, and why this death sentence. Death sentence is justified only in those cases in which you cannot imagine a more serious offence, that is the law, as far as I can see,” Jethmalani said.
India is likely to seek another consular access to Jadhav.
The government has also begun consultations on the steps to be taken by way of a judicial appeal as it contemplates more measures to put pressure on Pakistan to release Jadhav who they say was framed.
“We need to think through various options, legal as well as diplomatic. It has been decided that we will go to any extent to get his release and the same was said by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in the parliament,” said a source.
A group of army veterans staged a protest near the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi against Jadhav’s death sentence.
The protesters were led by Delhi Assembly legislator Col (retd) Devinder Sehrawat.
They also handed over a memorandum to the authorities at the Pakistan High Commission in Chanakyapuri.
“We urged the Pakistan High Commissioner to communicate the outrage over the unacceptable treatment meted out to Jadhav,” Sehrawat said.
Nearly two dozen ex-servicemen, including Col (retd) Ravi Tokas and Col (retd) KPS Rana, took part in the protest.