On Thursday, India strongly protested repeated comments by the US State Department on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. India claimed that American demands that it conduct a prompt, fair judicial procedure were “unwarranted” and “unacceptable.”
India Protests Remarks
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly press briefing that “any such external imputation on our electoral and legal processes is completely unacceptable.” He asserted that, in India, the legal processes are driven by the rule of law.
As India reacts to second statement from US State Dept about Kejriwal arrest, Opposition accounts being frozen, the UN now wades is, says it hopes elections in India will be "free and fair". @janusmyth reports https://t.co/qanSUtG4GK
— Suhasini Haidar (@suhasinih) March 29, 2024
“Anyone who has a similar ethos, especially fellow democracies, should have no difficulty appreciating this fact,” Jaiswal said. He added that India is proud of its “independent and robust” democratic institutions, which it is committed to protecting from any “undue external influences.”
Additionally, Jaiswal mentioned that mutual respect and understanding form the foundation of international relations. Further, he noted that states are expected to respect the sovereignty and internal affairs of others.
US Comments, India’s Response
On Wednesday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the US had noted the Congress party’s allegations that Indian government authorities have frozen their bank accounts in a move that could jeopardise their campaign in the upcoming elections. He also reiterated that the US was closely following the matter of the Delhi CM’s arrest. Miller said that the US demanded a “fair, transparent, and timely legal process” for both of the issues.
The remarks came even after India summoned the US’ acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Gloria Berbena, to protest earlier comments by the State Department. The State Department had said that it was closely monitoring the reports of Kejriwal’s arrest and said that it advocates for a fair, legal procedure in the matter.
Protesting the US remarks, the MEA said in a statement that states are supposed to respect each other’s sovereignty and internal issues when engaging in diplomatic relations. It further remarked that India’s legal procedures are founded on an impartial judiciary dedicated to prompt and objective decisions; hence, casting aspersions on it is “unwarranted.”
UN Comments, International Response
Not long after the MEA strongly refuted the US remarks, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, commented on the political developments in India following the arrest and freezing of Congress bank accounts.
“We very much hope that in India, as in any country that is having elections, that everyone’s rights are protected, including political and civil rights, and everyone is able to vote in an atmosphere that is free and fair,” the spokesperson said during a press meet. India is yet to react to these comments.
‘Hope rights are protected’: After US, Germany, now UN comments on Kejriwal’s arrest#ArvindKejriwal #ArvindKejriwalArrested #UnitedNations https://t.co/ZHe8HLqqmN
— Financial Express (@FinancialXpress) March 29, 2024
Last week, the German Foreign Ministry said that the country had taken note of Kejriwal’s arrest and hoped that the standards relating to basic democratic principles would be applied in this case of the Delhi CM’s arrest. Vehemently protesting the comments, India said that the remarks were equal to interfering in its judicial process. It summoned the German Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi, Georg Enzweiler, on Saturday to protest the remarks.
Kejriwal was arrested on 21 March in a case of non-compliance with the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case. This follows a spree of government actions against the opposition ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Previously, Jharkhand’s CM Hemant Soren was arrested on corruption charges. The actions have sparked criticism from several quarters, with commentators claiming that the government is making sure that there is no level playing field for the opposition in the upcoming polls.