AAP a "bunch of unprincipled leaders": Badal

Sangrur, Sep 17 (PTI) Describing AAP as "bunch ofunprincipled leaders", Punjab Chief Minister Parkash SinghBadal today said the party will "vanish" from the politicalarena of the state before the 2017 assembly polls in the wakeof ongoing "tug of war" within the party. "Due to the tug of war, AAP will vanish from politicalarena of the state before the ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections,"he said. Badal, talking to media on the sidelines of the SangatDarshan programme in Amargarh assembly segment here, said,"What else could be the fate of the party whose twoParliamentarians’ and one state convenor, besides severalother leaders were quitting the party one after another." He said it was a clear indication that the "house ofcards" will crumble soon. Feigning ignorance about the "missing" AAP MP BhagwantMann, Badal, while taking a jibe at the former, said if needarises, the government will trace Lok Sabha MP as it is theduty of every government to trace the "missing persons". Mann yesterday did not attend AAP’s political conferenceat Chhapar mela in Ludhiana. Over the dengue issue, the Chief Minister said the stategovernment was fully ready to tackle the menace ofvector-borne disease in the state. "Necessary directions have been given to the healthdepartment to take all the preventive steps to control thisdisease," he said. Felicitating the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on hisbirthday, Badal said, "Modi has put the country on the highgrowth trajectory". "Under the visionary leadership of Modi, the country hasscripted a new success story in every field due to whichIndia’s prestige has increased manifolds," he said. Earlier, addressing the public gatherings during SangatDarshan in village Khanpur, Lasai, Chaunda and others, theChief Minister reminded the people about the "notorious" pastof Congress. He said Congress has "irrelevantly meddled" in thesocial, political, economic and even religious affairs of thestate. Badal alleged that the party had always pursued the"policy of divide and rule" to attain power in thestate. "Due to around 60 years of misrule of Congress, thecountry is confronting several social maladies likeunemployment, illiteracy, poverty and others," he said. PTICHS AQS RGAQS