New Delhi: As Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal remains in the Enforcement Directorate’s custody, the US on Monday, March 25 commented on the issue encouraging a “fair, transparent, and timely legal process” for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, Reuters reported.
“We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal,” a State Department spokesperson said in response to an emailed query, the new report mentioned.
Speaking on India objecting to Germany’s remark on the arrest, the spokesperson said, “We would refer you to the German Foreign Ministry for comment on their discussions with the Indian government.”
On March 22, Sebastian Fischer, a spokesperson for Germany’s foreign ministry had answered a question on how the German federal government assessed Kejriwal’s arrest, he said, “We have taken note of the case. India is a democratic country. We assume and expect that the standards relating to the independence of the judiciary and fundamental democratic principles will also apply in this case.”
Also read: Kejriwal Arrest: This Coup Against Our Constitutional Setup is a Wake-Up Call
Fischer added that Kejriwal is “entitled to a fair, unbiased trial”, which he said “includes the right to make use of all existing legal remedies without restriction”.
“The presumption of innocence is a central element of the rule of law and must apply to it [Kejriwal’s case],” Fischer mentioned.
On March 23, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a press statement that the German deputy chief of mission in New Delhi was “summoned today” and that it “conveyed India’s strong protest on their Foreign Office Spokesperson’s comments on our internal affairs”.
Further, the MEA mentioned that it perceived “such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary”.
Notably, Kejriwal is the second sitting chief minister to be arrested in less than two months. Kejriwal’s arrest came on the same day when the Congress’s top leadership accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “financially crippling” the grand old party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections by freezing its bank accounts.