India
Jadhav, 47, was allowed to meet his mother Avanti and wife Chetana Jadhav across a glass screen on Monday.
Updated : Dec 28, 2017, 01:50 PM IST
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday made a statement in the Parliament on Kulbhushan Jadhav's issue, and the treatment meted out to his family in Pakistan. First, speaking in Rajya Sabha, she termed Pakistan's behaviour absurd and accused it of repeatedly violating human rights of Jadhav's family. The Congress Party stood in support of Sushma Swaraj in condemnation of Pakistan, over the ill-treatment of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav's kin when they visited the country to meet him.
Jadhav, 47, was allowed to meet his mother Avanti and wife Chetana Jadhav across a glass screen on Monday. India has maintained he was kidnapped and implicated.
Watch Sushma Swaraj speaking in Rajya Sabha
In the name of security, #Pakistan authorities forced mother, wife of #KulbhushanJadhav to change clothes, take off jewellery & Bindi: EAM Sushma Swaraj in RS pic.twitter.com/0Gp4qjRwqh
— Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) December 28, 2017
As it happened in Rajya Sabha on Thursday:
11: 35 am: Congress also raised a strong objection to Pakistan's behaviour and termed it an insult to all Indians.
Misbehaviour of Pakistan with wife & mother of #KulbhushanJadhav was misbehaviour with all Indians. Regardless of political differences, when it comes to nation's dignity & another country misbehaves with our mothers & sisters, it will not be tolerated: GN Azad, Congress in RS pic.twitter.com/Pxpx87RmQ9
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017
11: 27 am: Pakistani officials present during the meeting did not allow mother to speak in Marathi: Sushma Swaraj
Jadhav Ji's mother who only wears a saree was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles & mangalsutras of both mother & wife were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows: EAM Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha #KulbhushanJadhav
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017
11: 26 am: Jadhav Ji's mother who only wears a saree was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutras of both mother and wife were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows: Sushma Swaraj
11: 25 am : It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again and again & an environment of fear was created for them: Sushma Swaraj
11: 23 am: Even after her repeated attempts, the shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife were not returned. Pakistan says there was a camera or a recorder in the shoes, nothing can be more absurd than this as she traveled in 2 flights with those shoes on. It is an absurdity beyond measure: Sushma Swaraj
11: 20 am : Not just his wife but bindi and mangalsutra of his mother were also removed: Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha
Not just his wife but bindi & mangalsutra of his mother were also removed, I spoke to her she told me that as soon as she reached #Kulbhushan asked her 'Baba kaise hain?' because he thought a mishap has taken place when he wasn't around: EAM in Rajya Sabha
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017
Sushma Swaraj in Lok Sabha
After speaking in Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj made her statement in Lok Sabha. Repeating her harassment charges, she slammed Pakistan for letting Pakistani press harass family members of Jadhav's family.
It was specifically agreed upon by both sides that media will not be allowed to come close to the family but Pakistani press not only came close to them but also harassed them & hurled taunts at them: EAM Sushma Swaraj in Lok Sabha #KulbhushanJadhav pic.twitter.com/rj2jILryMX
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017
After being allowed to meet Jadhav in Islamabad after a long wait of 22 months, Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul were asked to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, besides being asked to change the attire, as part of security measure.
Moreover, Jadhav was separated from his family by a glass screen, and the communication for a little over 40 minutes between them was through an intercom device.
To add to the ill treatment, Pakistani journalists on Monday heckled and harassed both women after their meeting, by shouting to them such questions as, "What would you say on your husband killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis?" and "What are your feeling after meeting your killer son?"
Earlier, on Wednesday, political leaders cutting across party lines in Parliament condemned Pakistan’s mistreatment of Kulbhushan Jadhav’s family in Islamabad and demanded efforts to bring back the former Indian Naval officer who has been captured and sentenced to death on charges of espionage and terror.
Jadhav was arrested in March 2016, in Balochistan, Pakistan, over charges of alleged involvement in 'espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).'