This week, India called a senior US diplomat to the country in response to remarks made by the State Department on Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest.The United Nations entered the dispute a day after India declared that Washington’s demand for justice in instances involving opposition parties was “unwarranted” and “unacceptable,” adding that everyone should be allowed to cast a ballot in the nation’s parliamentary elections in a free and fair manner.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, responded to a question about the “political unrest” in India leading up to the Lok Sabha elections by saying, “What we very much hope that in India, as in any country that is having elections, that everyone’s rights are protected, including political and civil rights, and everyone is able to vote in an atmosphere that is free and fair.” This was in response to the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Congress party’s claims of having their bank accounts frozen.
“The foundation of India’s legal systems is an independent judiciary dedicated to prompt and impartial decisions. It is inappropriate to cast doubt on that, the ministry of external affairs stated in a statement.But Washington reiterated its demand that India implement “just, open, and prompt legal procedures for every one of these matters.”