India Objects To German Foreign Ministry's Remarks On Arvind Kejriwal's Arrest, Summons Diplomat

Taking note of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, the German Foreign Ministry said it expects that “standards regarding the independence of the judiciary and basic democratic principles” will apply.

NEW DELHI: In a big political development, the Ministry Of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday summoned a German Diplomat over remarks made by the German Foreign Ministry on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the liquor policy case. According to the news agency ANI, Georg Enzweiler, Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy, was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for an explanation on the issue. According to ministry sources, the MEA lodged a strong protest with the German envoy over the 'blatant interference' in India's internal matters by the country's foreign office.

#WATCH | Georg Enzweiler, Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy, leaves from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/1insDAZ7zx — ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2024

Taking note of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, the German Foreign Ministry earlier said it expects that “standards regarding the independence of the judiciary and basic democratic principles” will apply.

Sebastian Fischer, a spokesperson for Germany’s Foreign Ministry, was answering a question asking how the German federal government assessed Kejriwal’s arrest, that it took place weeks before the general elections in India and that the Indian Opposition sees it as politically motivated. “We have taken note of the case. India is a democratic country. We assume and expect that the standards relating to the independence of the judiciary and fundamental democratic principles will also apply in this case,” Fischer said according to his ministry’s website.

He added that Kejriwal is “entitled to a fair, unbiased trial”, which he said “includes the right to make use of all existing legal remedies without restriction”. “The presumption of innocence is a central element of the rule of law and must apply to it [Kejriwal’s case],” Fischer continued to say.

Kejriwal’s Arrest And ED Custody

Arvind Kejriwal was on Friday remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate for seven days, i.e., till March 28, a day after he was arrested by the probe agency in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case linked to a money laundering case.

Special CBI judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order after Kejriwal was produced on Friday following his arrest on Thursday night by the central probe agency. The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy case 2022, which was later scrapped.

In its arguments before the court, the ED alleged that the CM of Delhi is the key ''conspirator and kingpin'' in demanding kickbacks from businessmen. The agency further claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the Excise policy. The ED counsel claimed that Vijay Nair, who was the media in charge of AAP, was working for Delhi CM Kejriwal.

Nair, who the agency said lives adjacent to the residence of Kejriwal, acted as a middleman between the AAP and the South group. The ED further claimed that the proceeds of crime are not only Rs 100 crore but profits made by bribe givers were also proceeds of crime. The agency alleged that it had traced Hawala trails of Rs 45 crore that were used in the Goa Election.

The arrest by the central agency has drawn severe criticism for the BJP-led centre from the opposition leaders. The AAP will "gherao" the prime minister's residence on March 26 to register its protest against Kejriwal's arrest by the ED, the party's leader Gopal Rai said on Friday.

Two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody in the excise policy case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member.

Kejriwal's arrest came days after the ED arrested Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS) leader and daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao K Kavitha, in connection with its investigation into money laundering charges linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. Kavitha is in ED custody till March 23.