Strongly condemning Pakistan for announcing a death sentence to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader and former union home secretary R.K. Singh on Wednesday warned Islamabad that New Delhi might do the same and terrorists caught with arms and ammunition would be hanged without trials.
"Kidnapping an innocent man and putting wrong charge on him is not legal; this is total murder. Also, there will be no reciprocity from our side towards Islamabad. They should also remember that we can do the same with their terrorists who are caught with arms and immunisations every month. They will be hanged without trials," R.K. Singh told ANI.
Singh further stated Pakistan might have killed him and were in the process of defending themselves.
"Pakistan might have killed him. So, they were not granting consular access to him. The announcing of death sentence may just be to hide the fact from the nation," said Singh.
India has sent out a stern message to Pakistan with the Parliament strongly condemning the Pakistan military court's verdict sentencing Jadhav to death on charges of spying.
Replying to the issue in the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour on April 11, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that the government would do whatever is possible to give justice to Jadhav.
Singh said India's request for basic consular access to Jadhav was denied several times.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a suo motu statement made in both the Houses of Parliament, warned Islamabad of consequences in bilateral relations if death sentence on Kulbhushan Jadhav is carried out.
She said if the decision of the Pakistani court is implemented, it will be a pre-meditated murder asserting that there is no evidence against Jadhav.
There were also strong protests in front of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Jadhav, who was arrested in March last year by Pakistan and accused by the country of spying, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on Monday triggering tension between India and Pakistan.
Observers and experts on criminal or espionage-related laws in a majority of countries have suggested that the death sentence against Jadhav is a clear violation of Article 36 of the Vienna Convention that makes it mandatory for every government to provide consular access to an arrested foreign national by officials of his/her government.
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