Pakistan is a cheat, verbal threats from India will not work: Shiv Sena on Kulbhushan Jadhav case

The Shiv Sena article rebuked the Pakistani authorities for asking Jadhav's wife and mother to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi and even change the attire

Mumbai: Amid outrage and widespread condemnation of Pakistan's alleged ill-treatment to the wife and mother of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Wednesday rebuked Islamabad and said that the incident exposed the hostile neighbouring nation's doublespeak.

In a strongly-worded article in its mouthpiece, 'Saamana', the Maharashtra-based party said, ''Pakistan has an incorrigible habit of demeaning our country. No matter how dignified treatment we give them here, they will always possess hatred against India.''

"The reality came in front the way they had arranged the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family. They were sitting in front of each other, but could not hug because of the glass barrier," the Sena article said.

The article also rebuked the Pakistani authorities for asking Jadhav's wife and mother to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi and even change the attire.

"The family was not allowed to speak in their native language, Marathi, as well. Guests are not welcomed in Pakistan and this they have proved vehemently. Through this meet, Pakistan also made it clear that it stands as a cheat on the international platform," the article read.

The party further said a video conference meeting could have been arranged for the family instead of humiliating them in this way.

The Shiv Sena also gave a piece of advice to the Narendra Modi government on how it should handle Pakistan over the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

"India has to come out strongly in this context. Only verbal and paper threats are not going to do any good. Strict action has to be taken in order to show Pakistan its place," the article concluded.

After the meeting, Jadhav's mother and wife were allegedly harassed in the heavily-guarded Foreign Ministry Office in Islamabad.

During a press interaction, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had on Tuesday said that Pakistan had disregarded the cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhav's mother and wife, who were asked to remove various articles, citing it as a security measure.

Almost all political parties have strongly condemned Pakistan for its alleged ill-treatment to the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian Navy official who has been given a death sentence by a military court there.

The Narendra Modi government will make a statement in Parliament on the issue on Thursday.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will make a statement in Lok Sabha, clarifying the NDA government's stand on the issue tomorrow.

Jadhav is on a death row in Pakistan over charges of terrorism and spying for India's intelligence agency - Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging after India approached it against the death sentence.

(With ANI inputs)