The Centre on Wednesday summoned US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena to the Ministry of External Affairs office in Delhi's South Block in connection with the remarks made by the US on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest.
It has been reported that a 40-minute meeting was held with the diplomat.
#WATCH | The Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi summoned the US' Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena, today. The meeting lasted for approximately 40 minutes. pic.twitter.com/LGjD9IvX91
— ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2024
This came as the External Affairs Ministry released a statement objecting to the remarks of the US State Department spokesperson. "We take strong objection to the remarks of the Spokesperson of the US State Department about certain legal proceedings in India. 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," the statement read.
The US said it encourages a “fair and transparent” legal process for Kejriwal who is in the Enforcement Directorate custody for the money laundering case linked to the liquor policy scam. A US spokesperson told Reuters that Washington was closely monitoring the reports of the arrest of the Aam Aadmi Party leader ahead of the general elections. "We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal," the spokesperson said.
The US reaction came days after Germany made a similar statement, saying the chief minister was entitled to a fair and impartial trial.
"We assume and expect that the standards relating to the independence of Judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case," German foreign ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said on Friday.
India termed his remarks an interference in its judicial process and lodged a strong protest by summoning the German deputy chief of mission in New Delhi on Saturday. "We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
