Arvind Kejriwal: The US has stated that it supports a “fair” and “transparent” legal system and that it is closely monitoring reports of the recent detention of Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal. This occurs only a few days after Germany similarly demanded that the Delhi Chief Minister face a “impartial” trial, prompting a stern rebuke from India.
US Calls for Fair Legal Process
The U.S. official responded to an email regarding the matter, saying, “We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal.” On Saturday, India summoned a German diplomat in protest over his government’s views regarding the arrest.
Sebastian Fischer, a spokesman for Germany’s foreign office, responded to questions over the arrest at a press conference held by the government on Friday. He stated that Kejriwal had the same right to a fair and impartial trial as anybody else facing charges.
Emphasizing Judicial Independence
“We assume and expect that the standards relating to independence of judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case,” he said. The German embassy’s deputy head of mission, Georg Enzweiler, was called to New Delhi, “and conveyed India’s strong protest,” the country’s foreign ministry announced on Saturday.
“We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary,” it said in a statement. “Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted,” it added.
Washington’s Geopolitical Strategy
In its endeavour to counter China’s expanding global influence, Washington has grown to view India as a critical strategic and economic ally. Human rights groups have criticised U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration of prioritising strategic reasons over human rights issues in its relations with New Delhi, despite the fact that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has repeatedly demonstrated that it is sensitive to such criticisms.
