Why ICJ, Red Cross not involved in Jadhav meeting, asks Congress

The Congress and the BJP on Friday engaged in a war of words over Pakistani authorities harassing Kulbhushan Jadhav's kin as the former sought to know why India did not ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to facilitate the meeting through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or any other UN body.

In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at the Congress and said that the Congress party's misdeeds had emboldened Pakistan to indulge in uncouth behaviour.

"Pak's mistreatment of Jadhav's family is unequivocally condemnable but - 1. What were ground rules settled between India and Pakistan about the meeting? 2. Knowing Pakistan's perfidy fully well why did India not ask ICJ to facilitate meeting through ICRC or any other UN body rather than bilaterally???" asked Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari in Twitter.

Reacting to it, BJP national spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao tweeted: "Congress party's misdeeds, misadventures, misdemeanor, junkets, secret meetings & loose statements have emboldened Pakistan to indulge in uncouth behaviour."

Pakistani authorities made Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and also made them change their clothes before the meeting, India said on Tuesday.

India also slammed the meeting conducted across a glass panel, terming it "lacking in credibility" and "intimidating".

--IANS

sid/nir