New Delhi: The United Nations while responding to a question on the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and frozen bank accounts of the Congress party, said that the world body hopes for the protection of people’s political and civil rights during elections in India and other nations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a press meeting that in India like every other country having elections everyone’s rights are protected and everyone can vote in an atmosphere that is free and fair.
Delhi CM Kejriwal was arrested by the ED(Enforcement Directorate) on March 21 in the Delhi liquor policy case, days ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and is currently in the custody of the central probe agency. The Congress party has also alleged that the Income tax department had sealed their bank accounts, leaving them with no money to fight the parliamentary election.
The statement by the UN is followed by similar statements from the US and Germany over the arrest of Delhi CM. A US State Department Spokesperson said that they are watching closely the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal and have encouraged a free, transparent and timely legal process. New Delhi has summoned a senior US diplomat. Hours after this on the same day, the US again called for a transparent and timely legal process.
A German Foreign affairs spokesperson in a statement also said that the standards related to the independence of the judiciary and basic democratic principles would be applied in Kejriwal’s case. The External Affairs Ministry summoned a senior diplomat of the German Embassy to lodge its protest over Germany’s statement and called it interference in India’s internal matters.
