The U.S. is following reports of the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and encourages a fair legal process, a State Department spokesperson said on March 25 after Germany's reaction to the case sparked a protest from India.
Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 22 on corruption charges that his party rejects, a month before general elections. "We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal," the U.S. spokesperson said in response to an emailed query about the case, in which India summoned a German envoy on Saturday to protest against his government's remarks about the arrest.
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Asked about the arrest at a government press conference on Friday, Sebastian Fischer, spokesperson for Germany's foreign office said that like anyone else facing accusations, Mr. Kejriwal was entitled to a fair and impartial trial. "We assume and expect that the standards relating to the independence of the judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case," he said.
New Delhi summoned the German embassy's deputy chief of mission, Georg Enzweiler, "and conveyed India’s strong protest," at the remarks, India's foreign ministry said on March 23.
"We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary," it said in a statement. "Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted."
Asked about India's protest to Germany, the State Department spokesperson said, "We would refer you to the German Foreign Ministry for comment on their discussions with the Indian government."
Washington has increasingly come to see India as an important strategic and economic partner in its effort to push back against China's growing power worldwide.
New Delhi and Berlin also share good ties, and the two countries have been coming closer on strategic issues, including defense technology.
The Indian government deny any political interference in the case involving Mr. Kejriwal and other leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party. India's Washington embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the State Department's reaction.
