‘Unacceptable, unwarranted’: India again slams US’ remarks on Arvind Kejriwal

Calling the US State Department’s remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal “unwarranted”, India on Thursday said that any such external imputation on the electoral and legal process is completely unacceptable.

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated on Wednesday its call for “fair, transparent, timely legal processes” as India summoned an American diplomat and lodged a strong protest over the remarks.

Addressing a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said that “yesterday, India had lodged its strong objection and protest with a senior official from the US embassy with regard to the comments made by the State Department”.

“The recent remarks by the State Department are unwarranted. Any such external imputation on the electoral and legal process is completely unacceptable,” Jaiswal said in response to a question.

Asserting that in India, legal processes are driven only by the rule of law, Jaiswal said that anyone who has a similar ethos, especially fellow democracies, should have no difficulty in appreciating this fact.

He further said that India is proud of its independent and robust democratic institutions and is committed to protecting them from any form of “undue external influences”.

“Mutual respect and understanding form the foundation of international relations and states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others,” Jaiswal said.

The meeting at the foreign ministry’s South Block office with Gloria Berbena, the US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission in Delhi, lasted 45 minutes with India objecting strongly to the US stance on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor.

After Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, Kejriwal was the third AAP leader who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam.

Earlier, India summoned a senior diplomat from the German Embassy and lodged a strong protest over comments on Kejriwal, saying that the Chief Minister is entitled to a fair and impartial trial

India called it a “blatant interference” in the country’s internal matters.

(With inputs from IANS)