India on Wednesday took strong objection to remarks by a US spokesperson on Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, stating, "In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others."

In a strongly worded statement issued on March 27, the MEA said in diplomacy, states were expected to respect the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. “We take strong objection to the remarks of the Spokesperson of the US State Department about certain legal proceedings in India. 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. India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted," the MEA statement read.

The United States has said that it is closely monitoring the recent arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, adding that it "encourages a fair legal process". "The US is closely following reports of the arrest of Indian opposition figure Arvind Kejriwal," the spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying. “We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal," the US spokesperson said.