Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is "shaking in fear" and not appearing before the Enforcement Directorate because he knows that he is the "kingpin" of the alleged liquor policy scam, the BJP said today.

The BJP's reaction came after Mr Kejriwal skipped the third summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise policy case and sent a written reply calling the notice "illegal".

Reacting sharply, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, "Outright dishonest and sinister Arvind Kejriwal is shaking in fear and making one after another lame excuse to skip ED summons."

"It won't be wrong to say that (Arvind) Kejriwal is afraid today because he knows that his arrest is imminent, he is aware that he is the kingpin and has no answers (to ED's questions). That's why he is trying to evade the process of law," Mr Bhatia told reporters at a press conference at the party headquarters.

The BJP leader said it would have never happened in the history of independent India that someone "ordered" a probe agency to withdraw its summons.

"But a corrupt and sinister Arvind Kejriwal tells ED to withdraw its summons. Mr Arvind Kejriwal, you are not above the law," he charged, saying it is the right of the probe agencies to take action against corruption "as per evidence".

Mr Bhatia said that if Mr Kejriwal felt that the ED had issued summons to him out of any alleged "political vendetta", he should have approached the court seeking relief.

"Why didn't he approach court so far if the ED's summons are politically motivated. He is not able to muster courage (to approach court) because he knows the truth that he is the kingpin of the liquor scam," Mr Bhatia further said.

"Such dramas will not help because (Arvind) Kejriwal knows that handcuffs are coming closer to him," Mr Bhatia alleged.

Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, arrested in connection with the case earlier, were just his "puppets", he said.

Mr Kejriwal, who once used to talk about eradicating corruption in India, has himself become a "corrupt termite" in politics, and he has a misconception that he is above the law, Bhatia alleged.

"Arvind Kejriwal, you have mastered the art of deceit, corruption, propaganda and this has become synonymous to you," he charged.

On AAP allegation that the BJP-led Centre is hatching a conspiracy to arrest Mr Kejriwal to stop him from campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, Bhatia said probe agencies are "honestly biting corrupts like eagles, seeking from them details of people's hard earned money".

"If you have not done any dishonesty, what is there to be scared of... (Arvind) Kejriwal should have appeared before the ED and answered its questions," the BJP leader said, asking AAP national convenor to "let the truth come out".

Mr Bhatia also targeted the INDIA bloc of opposition parties, questioning their "silence" on the issue of corruption.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has zero tolerance for corruption and the probe agencies have been given a "free hand" to work independently and take action against graft, the BJP leader added.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)