Rajnath Singh: Will fight till the last for Jadhav’s release

Kolkata: Union home minister Rajnath Singh said that Pakistan’s claim of a fair trail being given to navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav was “untrue”. At a press conference here on Friday, Mr Singh said, “all efforts are being made to ensure that the Indian national get justice. India will fight till the last to acquit Jadhav.” Mr Jadhav has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for his alleged spying.

Raising doubts over the transparency in the process of Mr Jadhav’s trial, the home minister said, “I believe that our high commissioner has met their representative and has raised the issue of consular access. I don’t think he was given a transparent trial at all.”

Pakistan prime minister’s advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said in a statement on Friday Mr Jadhav was “tried under the law of the land in a fully transparent manner”. Mr Aziz added that Mr Jadhav’s sentence was “based on credible, specific evidence proving his involvement in espionage and terrorist activities in Pakistan.” Mr Singh also expressed concern over only 2 percent voter turnout in the Jammu & Kashmir elections. “The two per cent turnout at the Srinagar is a matter of concern. It has been decided that something needs to be done about it,” he said. After the Srinagar parliamentary constituency witnessed a 7.14 per cent vote on April 9, a repoll was conducted on Thursday and only two per cent of over 35,000 voters turned up. Referring to the statement made by BJP youth leader Yogesh Varshney, who had announced a bounty of `11 lakh to whoever beheaded chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Mr Singh said that his party did not believe in any act of violence. “He is not even a district level worker and the party does not endorse his views. No violence will be tolerated and action according to the law will be taken against him,” Mr Singh said.Reacting to the alleged slackness in enquiry on the Saradha and Narada issue, the home minister said, “Law will take its course. BJP will not interfere in the investigation process.” On the BJP standing second in the Kanthi West bypolls, Mr Singh said, “Aglibar Bhajpa Sarkar (Next time, the BJP will form the government).”