New Delhi,
In display of rare unanimity, both Houses today jointly endorsed Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement on the Kulbhushan Jadhav matter and condemned strongly Pakistan’s “obnoxious” behaviour.

Apprising Parliament of the meeting between Jadhav and his wife and mother in Islamabad on December 25, Swaraj dismissed Pakistan’s claims of it being a humanitarian gesture. “The truth is that both humanity and compassion were missing during the meeting that was arranged on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. There was a serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members of Shri Jadhav and an intimidating atmosphere was created for them during this meeting,” the minister said amid thumping of desks.

Swaraj recalled the manner in which Jadhav’s family was treated by Pakistani authorities and harassed by an abusive local media despite a prior understanding not to allow access to press.

She said India sent a note verbale to Islamabad on Wednesday to register its diplomatic protests against its ill-treatment of the family. “While the meeting could have been a step forward, it is a matter of great concern that there was departure from the agreed understandings between the two countries in the conduct of this meeting. The emotional moment between a mother and her son, and a wife and her husband after a period of 22 months was misused by Pakistan as an instrument to further its propaganda,” said Swaraj.

India had issued a battery of charges a day after the meeting, which the Pakistani foreign ministry dismissed as baseless and false.

“The family members were taken for the meeting through a separate door without informing the Deputy High Commissioner of India, who had accompanied the family members for this meeting. Consequently, he could not see that the family members were being taken for the meeting after changing their attire and removing their bindi, bangles and mangal sutra. Otherwise, he would have objected then and there,” stressed Sushma with JP Singh, Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad, also present in Parliament during her statement.

Reacting to reports that Pakistan is testing some metallic substance found in wife Chetana Jadhav’s shoes that were confiscated before the meeting and not returned, Swaraj called the accusation “absurdity beyond measure”.

Opposition members in Rajya Sabha had given notice under Section 267 to discuss the issue, but Chairman Venkaiah Naidu reminded members of the sensitivities involved with Jadhav still in Pakistani custody.