Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday rejected
Pakistan's claim that 'something suspicious' was found in Kulbhushan
Jadhav's wife's shoes, terming the allegation "an absurdity beyond
measure", India Today reported.
While
addressing the Rajya Sabha — the upper house of India's parliament —
today, Swaraj said that it was "absurd to suggest there was a mystery
chip or camera or recording device planted inside Kulbhushan's wife's
shoes."
Earlier this week, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO)
had explained that the shoes of the Indian spy's wife, Chetankul, had
been confiscated on security grounds after "something metallic" was found in her shoe.
The explanation had followed Indian accusations that the guest had been
humiliated by Pakistani authorities who took away her shoes.
Swaraj
today also reiterated claims that the trial conducted by Pakistan to
convict Jadhav was "farcical" and that his mother and wife were
humiliated by Pakistani authorities before and after their meeting with
him.
The FO has already rejected these claims, saying:
"If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian DHC [deputy
high commissioner] should have raised them during the visit, with the
media, which was readily available, but at a safe distance, as requested
by India."
Saying Pakistan does not wish to indulge in a
"meaningless battle of words", the FO spokesman had said it is a fact
that Jadhav's mother "publicly thanked Pakistan for the humanitarian
gesture", therefore "nothing more needs to be said."
Convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife had been allowed to meet
him on "humanitarian grounds" by Pakistan 21 months after Jadhav's
arrest and as a gesture of goodwill on Muhammad Ali Jinnah's birthday.
"We
note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a
manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings,"
India had complained in a statement hours after Jadhav's wife and mother
met officials at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi
following their visit, triggering a spat between the two neighbouring nuclear powers.
