MEA refuses to comment over Kejriwal awaiting clearance for C40 Copenhagen summit

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday refused to comment on clearance to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for visiting and speaking at the C40 summit and stated that it does not comment on individual requests.

Replying to a question about Kejriwal, not receiving political clearance from the MEA to visit and speak at the C40 summit in Denmark's Copenhage, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "Normally I do not answer any query on specific political clearance. We get hundreds of requests for political clearance every month from Ministers, Secretaries, and Bureaucrats."

Kumar further elaborated on the process while stressing that various factors are considered while considering such requests.

"I can just explain how the process functions. A decision is taken on multiple inputs, some of the inputs we get from the mission. It takes into account the nature of the event the person is going to participate in. It takes into account the level of participation from other countries. And also the kind of invitation which has been extended," Kumar said.

He also said that participation from other countries and the scale of event is also considered while responding to such requests.

"It is very simple that if there is an event taking abroad where a certain individual is invited and you have representation from other countries which is at a very lower level, in that case, we do advise the person concerned that look this event is not fit to be attended by a minister or this does not warrant a presence of a minister. So this is the process that is involved."

"The overall objective is to ensure that the prestige of the country is not compromised," he added.

The summit, at which Kejriwal is slated to speak on his government's work towards lowering pollution, including the car rationing scheme, will take place between October 9 and 12.