India on Wednesday lodged a strong protest with the United States over its remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying nations are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others.
The US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission was summoned to the foreign office and firmly told that India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary that is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted.
In a statement later, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “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 the case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents.”
A US State Department spokesperson, while answering a query on India summoning the German envoy over his comments on Kejriwal’s arrest, had said Washington had been closely following the reports. “We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal,” he said.
The remarks by the US came days after Germany commented on the Delhi CM’s arrest, leading to the summoning of a senior German diplomat by the foreign office in New Delhi to protest.