BJP urges people not to create havoc in Kulbhushan Jadhav case

After the mother and wife of former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav met him in Pakistan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday appealed people not to create havoc as it is a diplomatic issue and might complicate the matter.

"This is a very sensitive issue. The way MEA Sushma Swaraj and the Central government is working on this under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going towards a positive direction. I appeal people not to create havoc. It is a diplomatic issue, and it should be solved on diplomatic channels peacefully," BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha told ANI.

The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to Jadhav's mother and wife on December 20.

Islamabad has repeatedly rejected New Delhi's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging he was not an ordinary person and had entered the country with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.

Dismissing India's stance on Jadhav, Pakistan submitted its reply to the ICJ in the case on December 13.

The reply, which was submitted by the Foreign Office's Director, Fariha Bugti, also claimed that Jadhav's case did not fall under the purview of the Vienna Convention.

Pakistan's reply came after India submitted a written response to registrar Philippe Couvreur of the ICJ in the same case in September this year.

Jadhav was arrested in March 2016 in Balochistan, Pakistan, over the charges of alleged involvement in 'espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).'

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan on April 10.

The ICJ stayed the hanging, on May 18, after India approached it against the death sentence.