Taking strong objection to remarks by a US official regarding Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, India on Wednesday summoned a senior US diplomat and lodged a strong protest against Washington’s remarks. On March 23, German diplomat was summoned by New Delhi over German Foreign Ministry’s remark on Kejrwial.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials summoned Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena of US at its office in South Block here. The meeting lasted for more than 30 minutes.
Reports had said a US State Department official had said Washington “encouraged a fair, transparent and timely legal process for Kejriwal”.
The MEA later in a statement 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 case of fellow democracies.
It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents,” the statement said.
India’s legal processes are based on “an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes,” the MEA said in the statement while underlining that “casting aspersions on that is unwarranted”.
