New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs responded on Thursday to the US's second statement regarding the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, deeming the remarks "unwarranted" and "unacceptable."
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "Any such external commentary on electoral and legal processes is completely unacceptable. In India, legal proceedings are governed solely by the rule of law. Those who share similar values, particularly fellow democracies, should have no difficulty in understanding this."
The MEA emphasized India's pride in its "independent and robust" democratic institutions and reiterated its commitment to safeguarding them from any undue external influences. "Mutual respect and understanding are fundamental to international relations, and nations are expected to respect the sovereignty and internal affairs of others," the statement added.
The MEA's response came after the US reiterated its call for "fair, transparent, timely legal processes" concerning Arvind Kejriwal's arrest.
"We are closely monitoring these developments, including the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal. We advocate for fair, transparent, and timely legal processes for each of these matters," said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during a briefing earlier in the day.
Miller's remarks followed India's summoning of a US diplomat and its objections to the US's earlier comments on Arvind Kejriwal's arrest.
Responding to a question during the State Department briefing about India's summoning of Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena in Delhi, Miller cited "private diplomatic conversations" and declined to comment.
When asked about Congress's allegations of its bank accounts being frozen, Miller stated, "We are also aware of Congress's claims regarding the freezing of some of their bank accounts by tax authorities in a manner that may hinder effective campaigning in the upcoming elections. We advocate for fair, transparent, and timely legal processes for each of these issues."
India had previously expressed strong objections to the US's earlier remarks on Kejriwal's arrest.
"We strongly object to the statements made by the Spokesperson of the US State Department regarding certain legal proceedings in India," the MEA stated in a subsequent statement after summoning the US diplomat to its office in Delhi's South Block.
"In diplomacy, nations are expected to respect the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is especially important among fellow democracies, as failure to do so could establish unhealthy precedents," the statement concluded.
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