During a press briefing on Wednesday, Mathew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, found himself in a tight spot when queried about the discrepancy in the US’s response to the arrests of opposition figures in Pakistan compared to that of Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The journalist pointed out that while the US regularly issued statements regarding Kejriwal’s arrest and the Congress party’s asset freezing, it remained notably silent on similar incidents concerning Pakistani opposition leaders. Miller declined to conflate the two cases, emphasizing the US’s stance of advocating for consistent adherence to the rule of law and human rights in Pakistan. He stated, “I would not agree with that characterization. We have made clear on a number of occasions that we want to see everyone in Pakistan treated consistent with the rule of law, treated with respect for human rights, as is our position with respect to any country in the world.”
Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi excise policy case has drawn attention. He is presently held in Tihar Jail, with his judicial custody expected to conclude on April 15.
Responding to remarks from the US, Germany, and the UN regarding Indian politics following Kejriwal’s arrest, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized the principle of “Maryada” (dignity) among sovereign nations during a press conference on Tuesday. He asserted, “These are old habits. These are bad habits…The word I use is ‘Maryada’ among countries, we are sovereign countries. We should not be interfering in each other’s internal affairs. We should not be passing comments about each other’s politics.”
Jaishankar underscored that foreign countries do not possess the right to comment on India’s internal political affairs. He warned against setting a precedent for such interference, stating, “Because once, if this becomes a rule, where do you stop? So we have been, in the cases where it has happened, we have told the diplomats of that country very clearly that we take very strong objection to it.”
Input Source: PTI