After US & Germany, UN weighs in on Kejriwal arrest, Congress tax woes
New York: The United Nations has weighed in on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the freezing of the Congress’s bank accounts, urging the Narendra Modi government to ensure protection of political and civil rights.
According to Kashmir Media Service, during a press briefing, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stated, “What we very much hope (is) 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”.
Dujarric’s remarks came in response to questions regarding the political unrest in India following Kejriwal’s arrest and the freezing of bank accounts belonging to the Congress party.
Earlier, the United States, despite objections from India and the summoning of its diplomat, has reiterated its stance, emphasising the importance of fair and transparent legal proceedings.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, commented, “We continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. We are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. And we encourage fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of these issues.”
Similarly, Sebastian Fischer, spokesperson for Germany’s foreign office, stated, “We assume and expect that the standards relating to independence of judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case.”
