Hope elections will be free & fair in India, says UN

New Delhi, March 29

After Germany and the US, the United Nations has also spoken on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the freezing of bank accounts of the Congress, expressing the hope that every citizen’s rights will be protected in the coming General Election.

“What we very much hope is that in India, as in any country that is having elections, everyone’s rights are protected, including political and civil rights, and everyone is able to vote in an atmosphere that is free and fair,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in New York.

Interestingly, a journalist working with a Bangladesh media house had asked the same question from both the US State Department spokesperson as well as the UN Secretary General’s spokesperson.

The US has twice commented on the arrest of Kejriwal and once on the freezing of the Congress’ bank accounts ahead of the General Election. India had summoned an American diplomat the first time the State Department aired its views on Kejriwal’s arrest. However, the MEA did not repeat the summoning when the US State Department doubled down on its remarks on Kejriwal a couple of days later and for good measure also spoke on the action by the tax authorities against the Congress.