After India summoned a senior US diplomat on Wednesday (March 27) in response to Washington's comments regarding the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the United States reiterated its stance on "fair and transparent legal processes." During a press briefing, Matthew Miller, a representative from the US State Department, was questioned about India's reaction to the remarks on Kejriwal's arrest and the freezing of the Congress party's bank accounts. The US State Department stated that they are closely monitoring these developments.
What did the US say?
"We continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. We are also aware of the Congress party's allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. And we encourage fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of these issues," Miller stressed.
However, he also denied talking about any private diplomatic conversations, and said, "What we have said publicly is what I just said from here, that we encourage fair, transparent, and timely legal processes. We don't think anyone should object to that."
Earlier on Wednesday, India took a "strong objection" to the remarks of the United States State Department Spokesperson 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," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
MEA on India's legal system
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has reiterated its support for the country's legal system, emphasizing its independence and commitment to impartial and swift judgments. In a statement, the foreign ministry asserted, "India's legal processes are founded on an independent judiciary that is dedicated to fair and prompt outcomes. Any insinuation against this is unjustified."
Earlier today, Gloria Berbena, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission of the US, was seen leaving the Ministry of External Affairs headquarters following a meeting that lasted approximately 40 minutes. Additionally, last week, India summoned the German Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi to express strong objections to remarks made by the German Foreign Office spokesperson regarding the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. India condemned these remarks as interference in its 'judicial process' and as undermining the independence of the Indian judiciary, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
Why was Kejriwal arrested?
Earlier on March 22, the ED arrested Kejriwal hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the anti-money laundering probe agency. Later the trial court had remanded Kejriwal to the ED's custody till March 28 "for his detailed and sustained interrogation". The case pertains to the alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped.
(With ANI inputs)
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