India has issued a strongly-worded demarche to Gloria Berbena, the American deputy chief of mission in New Delhi, over the State Department's comment on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a political opponent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents," the MEA statement underscored.
It stated that India's legal processes were based on "an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes".
"Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted," the MEA remarked.
The US State Department said on Monday that it was closely monitoring Kejriwal's case.
"We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal," a State Department official was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Over weekend, the MEA also lodged a strong protest with the German Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi after German foreign office's comment on the Kejriwal case.
"We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary," the MEA stated.
Kejriwal was arrested by the federal financial crimes investigation agency Enforcement Directorate for allegedly receiving kickbacks to distribute liquor licenses during the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
His arrest before the national election next month has triggered protests in Delhi by supporters of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).