New Delhi: India summoned a German envoy today to protest against the
country’s remarks on the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy
case. The Ministry of External Affairs said that German foreign ministry
spokesperson’s remarks were a “blatant interference in India’s internal
matters”.
The Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy, George Enzweiler, was today
called by the MEA today to lodge an official protest. Mr Enzweiler was seen
leaving the Ministry of External Affairs office in the national capital’s
South Block today morning.
“We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining
the independence of our judiciary,” MEA said in a statement after the meeting.
“Law will take its own course in the instant matter. Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted,” India said on Germany’s remarks.
“India is a vibrant and robust democracy with rule of law. As in all legal
cases in the country, and elsewhere in the democratic world, law will take its
own course in the instant matter. Biased assumptions made on this account are
most unwarranted,” it added.
New Delhi and Berlin share good ties, and the two countries have been coming
closer on strategic issues, including defence technology.
The complaint comes hours after the German Foreign Ministry said they expected
Mr Kejriwal to get a fair and impartial trial as India is a democratic nation.
“We have taken note, India is a democratic country. We assume and expect that
the standards relating to independence of Judiciary and basic democratic
principles will also be applied in this case. Like anyone facing accusations,
Mr Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial, this includes he can
make use of all available legal avenues without restrictions. The presumption
of innocence is a central element of the rule of law and must apply to him,”
the spokesperson of the German Foreign Ministry said earlier.
Mr Kejriwal has been arrested in the Delhi liquor policy scam case; the
central agency has accused the AAP leader of being a “conspirator”. The ED
believes the now-scrapped policy provided an impossibly high profit margin of
nearly 185 per cent for retailers and 12 per cent for wholesalers.
A local court on Friday remanded Kejriwal in ED custody till March 28 “for his
detailed and sustained interrogation” regarding his role in the alleged Delhi
excise policy scam.
The ED’s case is that the Delhi liquor policy 2021-22 provided an
exceptionally high-profit margin of 12 per cent for wholesalers and nearly 185
per cent for retailers. A key focus of the investigation into the Delhi liquor
policy case was on an alleged network of middlemen, businessmen and
politicians which the central agencies have called the “South Group”.
(With Agency Inputs)