Easily provoked: On India’s internal affairs and foreign comments

New Delhi and Washington appear to be squaring off for a fight over the U.S. expressing its concerns about the Modi government’s actions ahead of the general election. After the U.S. State Department spokesperson first made a comment on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned the acting Deputy Chief of the U.S. mission in Delhi and sternly called on the U.S. to desist from interfering in India’s internal affairs. However, while the German government appeared to tone down its remarks subsequently, the U.S. administration seems to have doubled down — repeating statements on the need for “fair, transparent, timely legal processes”, and adding the freezing of the Congress Party’s accounts during the election campaign amongst its concerns, prompting yet another rebuke. Since the U.S. announced an indictment into an alleged assassination plot against a Khalistani separatist and India critic, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, claiming a link to a top Indian national security official, the quality of public engagement appears to have suffered a setback, even though trade, technology sharing, and military and strategic cooperation remain strong. The decision by U.S. President Joe Biden to decline India’s invitation as Republic Day chief guest and to attend the Quad summit, and the cancellation of U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan’s visit, even as the post of Indian Ambassador to Washington lies vacant, merit close examination.