We encourage fair, transparent legal process: After Germany, US reacts to Kejriwal's arrest

New Delhi: After Germany, the United States too has called for a “fair, transparent, and timely” legal process for Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo, Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21.

“We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal,” a spokesperson of the US State Department told Reuters in response to a query about the case. A similar comment by the federal foreign office of Germany on the arrest of the AAP leader had triggered a strong response from the Government of India last Saturday. A senior diplomat of Berlin’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi had been summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), where the top diplomats had conveyed to him India’s displeasure over the comment by the spokesperson of the federal foreign office of Germany.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money-laundering case related to the excise policy of the government of Delhi.

“We assume and expect that the standards relating to the independence of the judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case,” Sebastian Fischer, spokesperson of the foreign office of the Government of Germany, said. He said that the Delhi Chief Minister is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. “We assume and expect that the standards relating to the independence of the judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case,” said Fisher.

Fisher’s comment did not go down well with the Government of India. Georg Enzweiler, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Germany in New Delhi, was summoned to the MEA headquarters where the senior officials conveyed the strong protest by India.

“We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary,” the MEA had stated in a statement. “Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted”.