AAP a pack of cards, on verge of disintegration: Parkash Singh Badal

(

), Jun 1: Dubbing the Aam Aadmi Party as a "pack of cards", Punjab Chief Minister

on Sunday said the party was on the verge of "disintegration" due to the "lack of any ideological commitment and concrete programme".

Badal said AAP had "befooled" the people by showing them green pastures but when they were mandated to serve the people in Delhi, its leadership ran away from responsibility.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Talwandi Sabo Assembly segment here, he said AAP was only a "short term phenomenon" and the disenchantment amongst its key leaders has proved that the days of this party were numbered.

"The fact that key leaders of AAP have resigned from their party posts reflects that the base of this party is continuously eroding," Badal said. AAP was on the verge of disintegration due to the lack of any ideological commitment and concrete programme, he said.

In the Lok Sabha polls, Punjab was the only state in the country where the new entrant AAP won four seats. Batting for cheap prices of diesel, the Chief Minister said diesel must be included in the list of essential commodities as it would directly help reduce inflation.

He said diesel was a catalyst for growth in agriculture and transport sector and by lowering its prices a huge relief could be given to the countrymen.

Badal said that he would take up this matter with the Union government, once the newly appointed Ministers settle down to work. Slamming the Congress for its alleged anti-people policies, he charged that Congress had always misled the people by raising hollow slogans where as the nation was today facing a large number of maladies like unemployment, corruption, illiteracy and others due to its "wrong" policies.

The Chief Minister said the country has been ruined due to "aristocratic" attitude of Congress leaders despite being blessed with a bounty of natural resources.

Congress leaders distanced themselves from people and acted like "maharajas" due to which the general masses suffered, he charged.

"Neither Sonia Gandhi nor Rahul Gandhi are aware of the village life so no one can expect them to formulate any policy for the welfare of rural masses," he said.

PTI