Mumbai: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday accused Pakistan of attempting a "pre-planned murder" of former Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav - who was handed down death penalty by a military court in Pakistan.
The minister also asserted that India will do "whatever it takes" to ensure his release. "Pakistan is attempting a pre-planned murder of Kulbhushan Jadhav," he said, striking an aggressive posture against Islamabad.
"Jadhav is not a spy and should be released," Singh said while speaking at the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards.
"He went out of India for business. Pakistan agencies kidnapped him. He was carrying an Indian passport. Do spies carry passports?" he asked, seeking to trash Islamabad's claim that the 46-year-old was involved in "espionage and sabotage activities".
"We will do whatever it takes to ensure Jadhav's release. If needed we will take the issue to international fora," the Home Minister asserted.
However, Rajnath refused to disclose "strong steps" New Delhi was contemplating.
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.
Castigating the role of Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajnath accused the neighbouring country of "making things bad, and creating unrest in the state".
Rajnath also assured that the situation in Kashmir will be back to normal in a years' time.
(With PTI Inputs)
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