Modi Government Warns To Stay Clear Of Kejriwal's Arrest, Germany Takes A U-Turn

The Narendra Modi government summoned a senior US diplomat to object to remarks by the State Department spokesperson about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a liquor scam.

Germany, meanwhile, refused to intervene in India's internal affairs.

India Summons Germany

Last Saturday, a senior German diplomat was summoned to South Block by the Ministry of External Affairs and served a demarche by Bonn, protesting against the statement made by the German spokesperson on India's internal affairs.

The condescending remarks of the German spokesperson were seen by the MEA as interfering with the Indian judicial process and undermining the independence of the Indian judiciary, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Germany Takes a U-Turn - Here's what happened?

As per the reports, the firm counter launched by the MEA yielded results as the German spokesman yesterday refused to share any details about the summoning in Delhi and also chose not to comment on the case.

The spokesperson conveyed that commentary pertaining to the case has been articulated. Currently, there is a deliberate decision not to divulge details from confidential exchanges. There exists a shared eagerness between both sides to bolster cooperation, with keen anticipation for the forthcoming government consultations slated for this autumn, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Further, the spokesperson emphasized that the Indian Constitution serves as a guarantor of fundamental human rights and freedoms, values which are mutually upheld between us and India as strategic partners.

The German response came at a time when it was made very clear by India that democratic countries like the US have to be very careful in commenting on fellow (in this case the largest) democracies over the due process of law. New Delhi has also made it clear that commenting on internal affairs of third countries is a two-way street and will lead to bad precedents, as per media reports.

It is understood that another country from Western Europe has quietly informed India that it will not comment on the arrest of Kejriwal in an ED money laundering probe in the Delhi Excise Policy scam.