India on Thursday reiterated its strong displeasure over US State Department spokesperson’s remarks on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, terming them “unwarranted and unacceptable”.
Addressing a press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The recent remarks by the State Department are unwarranted. Any such external imputation on our electoral and legal processes is completely unacceptable.”
“Mutual understanding and respect is the foundation of international relations,” said Jaiswal.
India had on Wednesday “strongly” objected to a US State Department spokesperson’s remarks “about certain legal proceedings in India”, a reference to the arrest by the Enforcement Directorate of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
In an official statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents.”
“India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted,” he added.
On March 23, Germany said it had “taken note” of the arrest of Kejriwal and hoped the standards relating to the independence of judiciary and basic democratic principles would be applied.
Responding to this, India summoned the German deputy chief of mission in New Delhi on March 23 and lodged a strong protest against the German foreign ministry’s remarks.
