Image: ANI
In a move demonstrating India’s firm stance on judicial independence, the country summoned a senior American diplomat on Wednesday to protest against comments made by the US State Department regarding the legal proceedings involving Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. This action follows a similar protest lodged with Germany just four days prior.
The External Affairs Ministry issued a statement expressing “strong objection” to statements made by a US State Department spokesperson regarding legal matters in India. Although the statement did not explicitly mention the summoning of the American diplomat, it was reported that Gloria Berbena, the acting Deputy Chief of Mission for the US, was called in for discussions at the External Affairs Ministry.
The statement emphasized the importance of diplomatic respect for the sovereignty and internal affairs of other nations, especially among fellow democracies, to prevent the establishment of detrimental precedents. It underscored that India’s legal processes are grounded in an independent judiciary committed to fair and timely outcomes, dismissing any doubts cast upon this system as unwarranted.
The US State Department spokesperson had stated earlier in the week that the US was closely monitoring reports of Kejriwal’s arrest and advocated for a fair legal process. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) the previous week for his alleged involvement in Delhi’s contentious excise policy for 2021-22, which was subsequently scrapped. His party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has denied the corruption allegations.
Meanwhile, India also expressed discontent with Germany’s position on Kejriwal’s arrest, summoning the German Deputy Chief of Mission, Georg Enzweiler, to register its protest. Germany’s stance, as articulated by its foreign ministry spokesperson, was deemed as interference in India’s judicial process by the External Affairs Ministry.
The case against Kejriwal revolves around allegations of corruption and money laundering related to the execution of Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22. The ED has claimed that AAP leaders received kickbacks amounting to ₹100 crore in relation to this policy. Kejriwal’s name has been mentioned multiple times in charge sheets filed by the ED, alleging his involvement in formulating the excise policy.
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