India Summons US Diplomat

Ruby Thakur
March 28, 2024
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In a major development, India summoned a senior US diplomat over recent US State Department remarks on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. According to reports, the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi summoned the US’ Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena.

India Summons US Diplomat

Why In News

In a major development, India summoned a senior US diplomat over recent US State Department remarks on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. According to reports, the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi summoned the US’ Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena.

What Was Statement

“We Continue To Follow These Actions Closely, Including The Arrest Of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. We Are Also Aware Of 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. And We Encourage Fair, Transparent And Timely Legal Processes For Each Of These Issues,” The Us State Department Spokesperson, Matthew Miller, Said.

Response By India

The external affairs ministry said in a statement that the government has taken a “strong objection” to a US state department spokesperson’s remarks on legal proceedings in India.
The statement didn’t refer to the summoning of the American diplomat though people familiar with the matter said the US acting deputy chief of mission, Gloria Berbena, was called in to the external affairs ministry.
“In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents,” the statement said.

India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary that is committed to “objective and timely outcomes”, and casting aspersions on that is unwarranted, the statement added.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Kejriwal last week for his alleged role in Delhi’s controversial excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped. His Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has rejected the corruption charges.
“We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for chief minister Kejriwal,” the state department spokesperson said.

Other Issue

Earlier last week, New Delhi summoned a German envoy as a mark of protest against his government’s remarks about the arrest of the Delhi CM.
“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 for Germany’s foreign office had said in a press conference.

Later, New Delhi summoned the German embassy’s deputy chief of mission, Georg Enzweiler, “and conveyed India’s strong protest,” at the remarks.
It is worth mentioning India underscores the arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister is solely an “internal matter” of India and therefore, “no foreign country should lecture New Delhi over what to do and what not to”.

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Ruby Thakur

General Studies Lecturer SSBCrackExams, BSc In PCM, Trained Students For State Services Exams. Expertise in Geography ,Polity & Current Affairs. Love Travelling.