India issues second statement after US's comments on Kejriwal's arrest
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reacted to the United States's second statement on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. During a briefing earlier, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller underscored Washington's commitment to a "just and transparent legal process." The MEA labeled these remarks "unwarranted and unacceptable." "In India, legal processes are driven only by the rule of law. Anyone who has similar ethos...should have no difficulty in appreciating this fact," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
India stresses rule of law in legal proceedings
The US's fresh comments came after the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission for America, Gloria Berbena, was summoned by the MEA for a diplomatic meeting. The action by India followed comments by the US earlier this week that the country was closely following reports of Kejriwal's arrest and encouraged a fair, transparent and timely legal process for him.
US reiterates call for transparent legal process
In its response to the US on Thursday, the MEA also hit back at the US's comments on the Congress's claim that its bank accounts were frozen just days before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The MEA praised India's "robust and independent democratic institutions" and declared that "external imputation on our electoral and legal processes is completely unacceptable." Jaiswal further emphasized the Indian government's commitment to safeguarding courts and democratic institutions "from any form of undue external influence."
Germany's reaction to Kejriwal's arrest
Like the US, the Foreign Office of Germany had also called for a "fair and impartial trial" for Kejriwal. India reacted strongly to the comments too, summoning Georg Enzweiler, the deputy chief of mission at the German embassy, and labeling the Foreign Office's remark "blatant interference in internal matters." "We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary," the MEA said.
