UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric shared that he is hopeful on Thursday that in India, and in any country holding elections, people's political and civil rights are fostered, and all citizens can vote in a free and fair atmosphere.
A day after India denied accepting Washington's appeal for fairness in legal cases regarding opposition parties, but calling it "unwarranted" and "unacceptable," the United Nations stepped into the boiling issue, expressing its hope that all citizens can participate in the country's parliamentary elections in a free and fair democracy, PTI reported.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric shared that he is hopeful on Thursday that in India, and in any country holding elections, people's political and civil rights are fostered, and all citizens can vote in a free and fair atmosphere.
Dujarric spoke in response to a question regarding political unrest in India ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, after the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the freezing of the opposition Congress Party's bank accounts.
“What we very much hope that in India, as in any country that is having elections, that everyone's rights are protected, including political and civil rights, and everyone is able to vote in an atmosphere that is free and fair,” Dujarric was quoted by PTI in its report.
The United Nations' statement follows a similar reaction from the United States on the arrest of Kejriwal and the freezing of the Congress party's bank accounts. On Wednesday, after India summoned a senior US diplomat to protest remarks regarding Kejriwal's arrest, Washington reiterated its position, asserting that it aims to promote fair, transparent, and timely legal processes.
On the issue of US diplomat being summoned, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said: “I’m not going to talk about any private diplomatic conversations. But of course what we have said publicly is what I just said from here, that we encourage fair, transparent, timely legal processes. We don’t think anyone should object to that, and we’ll make the same thing clear privately.”
While, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during his weekly press briefing in New Delhi, regarded any external intervention on India's electoral and legal processes as "completely unacceptable". In India, legal processes are driven "only by the rule of law", Jaiswal asserted.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "After US and Germany, UN reacts to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's arrest before Lok Sabha Elections: ‘Hope that in India…’")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}