00:00 Arvind Kejriwal's arrest is being monitored by the United States government, which has
00:05 encouraged the Indian government to ensure a fair, transparent and timely legal process
00:10 for the jailed Delhi Chief Minister and opposition leader, as stated by a State Department spokesperson.
00:15 The response from the US comes after the Foreign Office of Germany emphasized that the Aam Aadmi
00:20 Party leader, like any other Indian citizen facing charges, is entitled to a fair and
00:25 impartial trial.
00:26 A statement regarding the application of standards concerning the independence of judiciary and
00:30 basic democratic principles in this case was made by a German government spokesperson on
00:35 Friday.
00:36 The comment was strongly reacted to by the Indian government, which summoned the German
00:39 envoy and labelled it as "blatant interference in internal matters".
00:44 Such remarks were seen as interfering in the judicial process and undermining the independence
00:48 of the judiciary, stated the External Affairs Ministry, adding that biased assumptions were
00:53 unwarranted.
00:54 There has been no reaction yet from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to the
00:58 statement from the US State Department.
00:59 Arvind Kejriwal was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate last week in dramatic
01:04 circumstances after a Delhi court refused protection from arrest following a late-night
01:08 raid at his residence.
01:10 He was sent to the custody of the Central Agency for seven days until Thursday in connection
01:14 with the alleged liquor policy scam that has stirred controversy within the ARP and the
01:18 national political landscape less than a month before the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
01:23 The Chief Minister's arrest has sparked furious protests in Delhi, with the ARP being joined
01:27 by opposition parties, including allies of the India bloc such as Congress, the Trinamool
01:31 led by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravidamunetra Kazhagam
01:36 in condemning the agency's action in Delhi on Tuesday.
01:39 Several ARP workers were detained by police as they attempted to march on the PM's home.
01:43 Meanwhile, a BJP organised a mega-march of its own to press for Kejriwal's resignation.
01:49 The BJP, accused by the opposition of using central investigative agencies like the ED
01:53 to target and harass rivals, particularly before an election, has demanded Kejriwal's
01:57 resignation and has dismissed claims of using central agencies, as described by the opposition.
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