Rahul Gandhi row: India on Sunday hit back at Germany in its own format following the latter's intervention in the domestic matters of New Delhi. At first, Germany reacted to the ongoing matter of now-disqualified Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi.
Earlier Germany said it has taken note of the case and “expects that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will apply”.
Reacting in a similar fashion, Bhartiya Janata Party's national vice-president Baijayant Jay Panda, on Sunday asserted India is also taking note of the developments that erupted in Germany's Lützerath village in January this year.
What happened in Germany?
Notably, earlier at the start of this year, police reportedly took harsh measures on the climate activists who were protesting against an open-cast brown coal mine in the Lützerath village.
According to multiple media reports, police also thrashed villagers on the head, resulting in severe injuries. Even the police had briefly arrested climate activist Greta Thunberg and then released her after an hour. This triggered a major row across the country.
Indians are taking note
Expressing grave concerns over Germany's Police, Panda took to the social media platform and said he was dismayed to read about Germany’s police brutality at Lützerath village in January this year. "Protestors accused the police of ‘pure violence,’ and said they had been beaten ‘unrestrainedly, often on the head," he wrote on Twitter.
Further, he mentioned that the "Indians were taken note" of the incident and called it a major setback for Europe’s biggest economy. "Indians are taking note of such decline in democratic norms in Europe’s biggest economy with sadness & concern," he added.
US, Pakistan too expressed concerns
It is worth mentioning the disqualification of the senior Congress leader hit the headlines of almost all international media outlets. Even the cash-strapped Pakistani media raised grave concerns over India's Opposition leader.
Reacting to the matter, the US also said it was concerned about the disqualification of Gandhi and added "it is keeping a close watch over the development in Indian courts".
"Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we're watching Mr Gandhi's (Rahul Gandhi) case in Indian courts," US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said while responding to a question regarding Rahul Gandhi's expulsion from the Indian Parliament.
