UN responds to Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, ‘hope that everyone’s rights are protected in India’
- In Reports
- 02:38 PM, Mar 29, 2024
- Myind Staff
The United Nations responded to inquiries regarding the "political unrest" in India following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the freezing of Congress's bank accounts. The world body expressed its hope for the protection of people's "political and civil rights" during elections in India and other nations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, stated at a press briefing, "We very much hope that in India, as in any country that is having elections, everyone's rights are protected, including political and civil rights, and everyone is able to vote in an atmosphere that is free and fair."
Meanwhile, the Congress claimed that the Income Tax Department had sealed their bank accounts, stating that this action left them with insufficient funds to contest the parliamentary election.
The comments from the United Nations come after comparable statements from the United States and Germany regarding the arrest of the Aam Aadmi Party chief.
A spokesperson from the US State Department announced that they are "closely monitoring" the arrest of Kejriwal and are advocating for a "fair, transparent, and timely legal process". Following India's protest over the statement, New Delhi summoned a senior US diplomat. Hours later, on Wednesday, the US reiterated the same position, emphasising the need for transparent and timely legal processes.
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, "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, timely legal processes. We don’t think anyone should object to that, and we’ll make the same thing clear privately."
In a statement, a spokesperson for German foreign affairs affirmed that the "standards relating to the independence of the judiciary and basic democratic principles" would be applied in Kejriwal's case. Following this, the External Affairs Ministry summoned a senior diplomat from the German Embassy to register its protest over the country's comments, denouncing it as "blatant interference in internal affairs".
The case against Arvind Kejriwal concerns allegations of corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was subsequently scrapped.
Image source: Business Today
Comments