India summons US diplomat over Washington's statement on Arvind Kejriwal's arrest

India has lodged a strong demarche with the United States over the US State Department's recent comments concerning the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. US Acting Deputy CdA Gloria Berbena was summoned by India's Ministry of External Affairs and handed over a strongly worded demarche. The summoning lasted for 45 minutes.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 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. India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted," it added.

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Earlier, the US State Department, in response to an inquiry from a news agency had said, "We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal."

This marked the second instance of a foreign government commenting on Kejriwal's arrest, following earlier comments from Germany.

Over the weekend, India had responded by summoning the German Deputy Chief of Mission and lodged a strong protest.

The MEA emphasised that such remarks amounted to interference in India's judicial process and undermined the independence of its judiciary.

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The MEA, in its statement, said, "India is a vibrant and robust democracy with rule of law. As in all legal cases in the country, and elsewhere in the democratic world, law will take its own course in the instant matter. Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted."

Earlier, the German foreign ministry had said, "We have taken note, India is a democratic country. We assume and expect that the standards relating to independence of Judiciary & basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case."

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Earlier, the German foreign ministry had said, "We have taken note, India is a democratic country. We assume and expect that the standards relating to independence of Judiciary & basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case."

This is the second time that the US has gotten an earful from New Delhi this year after the State Department remarks on the implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India.

Terming US remarks on CAA as "misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted", MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, "Vote bank politics should not determine views about a laudable initiative to help those in distress. Lectures by those who have a limited understanding of India's pluralistic traditions and the region's post-partition history are best not attempted."