Kejriwal launches AAP's LS poll campaign from Punjab

NEW DELHI: The AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday officially launched party's Lok Sabha campaign. The Delhi Chief Minister arrived in Punjab on Sunday to launch the party's election campaign for the Lok Sabha polls with a rally in Barnala town. "Amit Shah and PM Modi have ruined the country. They have poisoned the hearts of the people. If they come to power again they will divide the country. They will not let the Constitution survive," CM Kejriwal said. He added that the country is fed up with the five-year rule of Modi and Amit Shah. "They have destroyed this country in five years. They have poisoned the minds of people," said the Delhi Chief Minister.

Earlier this week the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ruled out the possibility of an alliance with Congress in upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

"We were ready to drink poison for the interest of the nation. Keeping recent developments in mind, the party has decided that in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana we will contest elections in all the seats on our own… The statements that have come from Congress leaders from two states clearly show that (for them) their arrogance is greater than the country," said AAP Delhi Convenor Gopal Rai. The party took the decision following statements by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit, which showed the

"arrogance" of the Congress, Rai said.

AAP had considered such an alliance after like-minded parties led by leaders such as Mamata Banerjee, the chief of the Trinamool Congress; N. Chandrababu Naidu, president of the Telugu Desam Party; Farooq Abdullah, chairman of the National Conference; and M.K. Stalin, president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam decided to join hands against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in spite of their disagreements, Rai said.

Meanwhile, with his party's Punjab unit facing a split in its leadership, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that "dirty people" had left the party. "There have been attempts at breaking up the AAP. I must tell you that AAP is as strong as ever. Only the dirty people have left the party. The AAP is united and strong," Kejriwal told a rally in Barnala town in Punjab.

The Delhi chief minister said that "greedy people" had left the AAP and that they were not fit to be part of the party.