The US government has denied allegations that it was being pro-Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal in its stance. US state department spokesperson Mathew Miller was asked why Washington did not say anything on the arrests of opposition leaders in Pakistan but commented on the arrest of Delhi chief minister.
“I would not agree with that characterisation. We have made clear on a number of occasions that we want to see everyone in Pakistan treated consistent with the rule of law, treated with respect for human rights, as is our position with respect to any country in the world,” Miller added.
After the Delhi chief minister was arrested, the US government had asked India to ensure a “fair, transparent and timely legal process”. This was swiftly criticised by India terming it as an unacceptable intervention and summoned senior US diplomat Gloria Berbena to the foreign ministry.
“The recent remarks by the US state department are unwarranted. Any such external imputation on our electoral and legal processes is completely unacceptable,” said Randhir Jaiswal, the foreign ministry spokesperson.
Foreign minister S Jaishankar had said that these habits were outdated and that India has objected strongly to the diplomats of these countries.
“Because once, if this becomes a rule, where do you stop? So we have been, in the cases where it has happened, we have told the diplomats of that country very clearly that we take strong objection to it,” Jaishankar added.
Earlier on March 23, India had summoned the German deputy chief of mission here and lodged a strong protest against the country’s foreign ministry’s remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The external affairs official back then has said that it was a “biased assumption” and termed it as “most unwarranted”.
This is the third face-off between the German foreign ministry and the external affairs ministry in the last three years.
