The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The United States is keeping a close eye on reports of the arrest of Indian opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal and is calling for a fair legal process, according to a State Department spokesperson. The statement comes after Germany’s reaction to the case sparked a protest from India.
Kejriwal, a prominent national opposition figure and chief minister of Delhi’s capital territory, was arrested by India’s financial crime-fighting agency on Thursday on corruption charges that his political party denies, just a month before the country’s national elections.
“We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal,” the U.S. spokesperson said in response to an emailed query about the case, which led India to summon a German envoy on Saturday to protest against his government’s remarks about the arrest.
During a government press conference on Friday, Sebastian Fischer, spokesperson for Germany’s foreign office, said that like anyone else facing accusations, Kejriwal was entitled to a fair and impartial trial. He stated, “We assume and expect that the standards relating to independence of judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case.”
In response, New Delhi summoned Georg Enzweiler, the German embassy’s deputy chief of mission, “and conveyed India’s strong protest,” at the remarks, according to India’s foreign ministry. In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said, “We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary. Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted.”
When asked about India’s protest to Germany, the State Department spokesperson referred the matter to the German Foreign Ministry for comment on their discussions with the Indian government.
Washington has increasingly come to view India as an important strategic and economic partner in its efforts to counter China’s growing global influence. However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has shown sensitivity to human rights criticism, and rights advocates have accused U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration of prioritizing strategic considerations over such issues in its dealings with New Delhi.
Despite the current tensions, India and Germany share good ties and have been growing closer on strategic issues, including defense technology.
The Indian government and PM Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party deny any political interference in the case involving Kejriwal and other leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party.
