US Speaks Again On Kejriwal, Also Raises Congress Accounts Issue  

A day after India summoned a US diplomat and objected to remarks on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, the United States reiterated its call for "fair, transparent, timely legal processes". US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also said that it was aware of the Congress party's allegations that tax authorities had frozen some of their bank accounts.

"We continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal. We encourage fair, transparent, and timely legal processes for each of these issues," Miller said.

Miller was responding to a question during the State Department briefing about India summoning Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena in Delhi, as well as on the freezing of Congress's bank accounts.

"We are also aware of the Congress's allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. And we encourage fair, transparent, and timely legal processes for each of these issues," Miller said.

When asked about India summoning the US diplomat, Miller refused to make any comment, citing "private diplomatic conversations".

"I'm not going to talk about any private diplomatic conversations. But of course, what we have said publicly is what I just said here, that we encourage fair, transparent, and timely legal processes. We don't think anyone should object to that," Miller said.

New Delhi had earlier lodged a strong protest against Washington's "closely monitoring" remark on the arrest of Kejriwal. The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped liquor policy case.