NEW DELHI: A day after a US spokesperson commented on the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, saying they hoped his trial was fair, India objected to it and summoned their acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Barbena. The meeting is said to have lasted for 40 minutes.
"We take strong objection to the remarks of the spokesperson of the US State Department about certain legal proceedings in India,’’ said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
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,’’ said Jaiswal.
India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary that is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted, Jaiswal added.
The US is the second country after Germany that has commented on Kejriwal’s arrest. “The German deputy chief of mission in New Delhi was summoned and was conveyed India’s strong protest on their Foreign Office spokesperson’s comment on our internal affairs. We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process,’’ MEA said, a few days back.
