US speaks again on Kejriwal's arrest, mentions Congress's 'frozen accounts'
What's the story
Despite India's recent objections, the United States (US) has once again voiced its stance on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday (local time). During a departmental briefing, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller underscored Washington's commitment to a "just and transparent legal process." He also noted that suspending Congress's financial assets could potentially influence its campaign in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The US's fresh comments come just after the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission for America, Gloria Berbena, was called to a meeting at the Ministry of External Affairs. The meeting, which ran for over 40 minutes, was reportedly called in response to the State Department's earlier statement on the arrest of the Delhi CM. During a press briefing on Tuesday, the US had said that it is closely following reports of Kejriwal's arrest.
Miller's reaction
Miller's comments on India summoning US diplomat
At the briefing, Miller declined to comment on New Delhi summoning the US diplomat for a meeting, citing "private diplomatic conversations." "I'm not going to talk about any private diplomatic conversations. But of course, what we have said publicly is what I just said from here, that we encourage fair, transparent, and timely legal processes," Miller said. "We don't think anyone should object to that," he added.
Miller's briefing
US's statement on Congress's 'frozen accounts'
"We are also aware of the Congress party's allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections," Miller added. Earlier, the MEA said Delhi had taken strong objection to the remarks of the spokesperson of the US state department about "certain legal proceedings in India."
Official statement
MEA's earlier statements on US's remarks
Reacting to the US's remarks, the MEA said in a statement, "In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in the case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents." "India's legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted," the MEA added.
Germany's comments
Germany's reaction to Kejriwal's arrest
Notably, a couple of days ago, Germany's Foreign Office Spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said that the Aam Aadmi Party national convener, like any other Indian citizen facing charges, is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. Germany's statements evoked a sharp response from the Indian government. The MEA summoned Georg Enzweiler, the deputy chief of mission at the German embassy, and labeled Fischer's remarks "blatant interference in internal matters." The German Embassy has yet to respond to this protest.
ED detains Kejriwal
Kejriwal's ED arrest; Congress's claim on bank accounts
On March 21, the Enforcement Directorate detained Kejriwal in a case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. To recall, the policy—devised and implemented by the Delhi government for 2021-22—was later discarded due to corruption allegations. Meanwhile, the Congress has alleged that it does not have access to funds as the the Income Tax Department froze Rs. 115 crore in its bank accounts following a tax demand of Rs. 210 crore as dues and penalties for the 2018-19 financial year.