India summons US diplomat over comments on opposition leader’s arrest
New Delhi, INDIA (EFE/DT) – India on Wednesday summoned US diplomat Gloria Berbena to convey its “strong objection” to recent comments by Washington on the arrest of an opposition leader just weeks ahead of the general elections.
The comments came in the wake of the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over accusations of financial irregularities.
Berbena, US’ Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, was summoned by the Indian authorities, Indian foreign ministry official Vasudev Ravi told EFE.
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“We take strong objection to the remarks of the Spokesperson of the US State Department about certain legal proceedings in India,” said a statement by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
In this video, Gloria Berbena, the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission for the US, can be observed entering the office of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for the US State Department stressed the need for a “fair, transparent and timely” legal process for Kejriwal, arrested last week by the ED, controlled by the federal government.
“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 statement added.
The summoning of the US official comes days after New Delhi also summoned the deputy head of the German embassy on Saturday to convey its disapproval of comments from Berlin about Kejriwal’s arrest.
Kejriwal, leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested less than four weeks before the start of the general elections over alleged irregularities in the state’s excise policy to hand over the alcohol market to private companies.
An alliance of opposition parties formed ahead of the elections, led by the grand old Indian Congress Party (INC), and of which the AAP is a part, has denounced the arrest claiming it was politically motivated. EFE