Subhechcha Ganguly 
The Indian Constitution provides fundamental human rights and freedoms, according to a German spokesman on Wednesday. Germany was chastised on Wednesday for making a decisive U-turn on the matter and refusing to meddle in India’s internal affairs, on the same day that the Narendra Modi government called a senior US diplomat to voice strong objections to statements made by a State Department spokesperson regarding the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in a liquor scam.
In a protest against the German spokesperson’s remarks on India’s domestic affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned a senior German diplomat to South Block and served a demarche to Bonn last Saturday. The MEA considered the German spokesperson’s patronising comments to be a disruption to the Indian legal system and a threat to the judiciary’s independence.Have made comments regarding the case, the spokesperson said.
I wouldn’t report on private discussions right now. The goal of strengthening collaboration is shared by all parties, and we, together with the Indian side, eagerly anticipate the upcoming government consultations, which are scheduled for this autumn.Basic human rights and liberties are guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. India is a vital partner with which we share these democratic principles. This is the closest translation of the spokesperson’s response, which was given in German.The German reaction coincided with India’s stark warning that democratic nations such as the US should exercise extreme caution when criticising other (larger) democracies about the application of the rule of law. Furthermore, New Delhi has made it abundantly evident that making remarks on the domestic issues of other nations is reciprocal and would set a dangerous precedent.
