Mumbai BJP asks Centre to secure release of Jadhav

The Mumbai BJP today sought the Centre's intervention to secure the release of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, awarded death penalty by a military court in Pakistan.
The party's city unit President Ashish Shelar met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was here, and requested him to intervene in the matter.
"The Union government should take steps to secure the release of Kulbhushan Jadhav. Jadhav was not given a chance to defend himself," Shelar said in a letter submitted to Singh.
Earlier in the day, a Mumbai BJP delegation led by Shelar met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and submitted a separate letter seeking justice for the 46-year- old retired Navy officer, convicted of "espionage and sabotage activities".

"The government should come to his relief. He deserves justice, which we feel, has been denied to him. We support Jadhav and appeal to the Chief Minister to communicate our sentiments to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj," said the letter.
Jadhav, who hails from Maharashtra, was "arrested" on March 3 last year by Pakistan security officials allegedly in Balochistan which, they said, he entered from Iran.
He was sentenced to death by a military court in a secret trial and Pakistan's army chief yesterday approved his execution.