NEW DELHI: India has lodged a vigorous objection with the senior official from the US Embassy in response to recent comments made by the US State Department regarding India’s electoral and legal processes. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a weekly press briefing said, “India has lodged its strong objection and protest with the senior official from the US Embassy about the comments made by the US State Department. The recent remarks by the State Department are unwarranted. Any such external imputation on our electoral and legal processes is completely unacceptable.”
Detailing its stance, Jaiswal emphasised that legal processes in India are governed solely by the Rule of Law. It underscored that nations sharing similar democratic ethos should have no difficulty in understanding and respecting this fundamental principle.
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“India is proud of its independent and robust democratic institutions, and we are committed to safeguarding them from any form of undue external influence,” the statement declared, reaffirming India’s dedication to upholding the integrity of its democratic framework. Mutual respect and understanding, it emphasized, serve as the bedrock of international relations, with nations expected to demonstrate reverence for each other’s sovereignty and internal affairs.” MEA, in its statement also underscored that if countries like the United States do not respect other’s internal matters, it would set “unhealthy precedents”
The protest was prompted by remarks made by US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller regarding the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and the freezing of Congress party bank accounts by Indian tax authorities. Miller stated, “We continue to follow these actions closely. We encourage fair, transparent, and timely legal processes for each of these issues.”
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His reaction came despite India having summoned a senior US diplomat in connection with the remarks by a US State Department official over the arrest of Kejriwal. On Wednesday, the foreign ministry summoned the US’ Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena in Delhi to object to Washington’s meddling in India’s internal affairs
India’s reaction to these comments underscores its firm stance on maintaining the integrity of its legal processes and sovereignty. The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that casting aspersions on India’s legal proceedings is unwarranted and urged for greater respect for the sovereignty of nations in diplomatic discourse.