“Chor, Balatkari, Brashth, Dalal…Ambanikidukaan, Congress kijebmein…” The crowds roared and cheered wildly (yours truly, included) at Jantar Mantar and the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.Finally, here was a guy who had the guts to openly abuse and challenge the most corrupt government India has had post-Independence. This was in 2011.

“Chor, Balatkari, Brashth, Dalal… Ambani ki dukaan, Modi ki jebmein…” The rhetoric and hectoring continues in exactly the same vein. Some folks still cheer him on, although the goal post has shifted. The targets currently are the principal Opposition Party that has NOT been in power in India for a decade, a couple of “select” business houses, and of course Narendra Modi. All the Congress/UPA mega scams have been pushed under the carpet. Not sure exactly what is being challenged any more. This is in 2014.

Arvind Kejriwal’s shrill & crude diatribe, delivered in an earnest “school boyish” voice is beginning to ring false and hollow. His actions do not match up to his words. Inspite of a chequered 49 days as the Chief Minister of Delhi,he continues to get disproportionate coverage in the mainstream media. But Mr Holier-than-Thou Kejriwal is ungrateful. He had declared on Twitter that Rs 1400 crore was being paid to the media to tarnish him and his party.

Who, where and when this Rs.1400 crore was paid, has not been elucidated by the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Reality, however, is that far from tarnishing his image, one of India’s leading media houses, the India Today Group, organised a private plane to transport aamaadmi Kejriwalji to Delhi, provided him with a political platform and prime TV airtime. A political platform on which he trashed and abused the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Opposition Party, with absolutely no proof to validate his wild accusations. If that was not enough, the same India Today Group’s Punya Prasun Bajpai, AajTak editor,is shown in an “off the record” conversation with poor Kejriwal- where the latter is seen displaying the utmost contempt for us, the aamaadmi. The video of this conversation was uploaded on Youtube and went viral, notching up over a million views in less than 48 hours.

Doesn’t whoever recorded and leaked this video know that the right to “expose” rests solely with Sri Sri Kejriwalji?

In this “off the record” conversation,Kejriwal’s absolute contempt for the aamaadmi’s intelligence is quite obvious. He had absolutely no compunctions that the message going out in the interview is fake, staged and insincere and he was supremely confident that it would be lapped up.

As Bajpai gleefully assured him “Krantikari… Bahut hi Krantikari!”

The hypocrisy and ruthless cultivation of “votebanks” built on opportunistic half-truths and lies also came to the fore.

“Wowalathoda theoretical hai, corporate walaaapjobolrahe the na .Kaafi theoretical hai, isliye main usmeinnahi jar aha tha. Us se jitna middle class haiwo anti ho jayega”

Nodding in agreement, Bajpai conspiratorially agreed that “the middle class” would not be appreciative of private enterprise bashing. He“advised’ Kejri to focus and talk about the 80% population that is poor, needy and impoverished instead. That section being AAP’s key vote bank across the country.

Is it the job of a journalist to advise his subject what to talk about? Or is it his job to ask the hard questions? Ah, but then Bajpai has probably been “paid” off. I do wonder who paid Bajpai to conspire with Mr. Kejriwal?

This duo, Bajpai and Kejri, the AajTak channel and by extension, the India Today Group displayed contempt not merely for their viewers, theyalso showed scant respect for Bhagat Singh, martyred in the struggle for Independence from a foreign rule.

A puny rabble-ro user pumped up by a compliant media, Arvind Kejriwal had the temerity to equate and compare himself with Bhagat Singh who gave up his life for the country. (Kejri can’t even give up a house in Lutyens Delhi, leave alone his life.). Using a picture of the freedom fighter as a prop in his interview was distasteful and disrespectful.

The comfort level and body language of both Kejriwal and Bajpai was that of buddies discussing a matter of mutual interest and benefit. The adversarial sting, essential for an honest interview was completely absent. It was infact a not-so-subtle attempt at image building for Kejriwal.

Unable to deny the existence or authenticity of the video exposing the unholy “setting” between the two, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the party that thrives on wild accusations and self-serving stings, cried foul. To paraphrase, they claimed that an “off the record” conversation was being used to malign their Holy Cow Kejri.

I am sure the Aam Aadmi Party gives sufficient notice to all the people it does stings on.

The dishonesty, the hypocrisy, the dictatorial “my way or the highway attitude”, the grandstanding and “only I am right” stance does not bode well, either for this party or the country -if at all they achieve relevance electorally. A group epitomising all of these traits is promising to bring change to our beleaguered country.This seems a laughable prospect.

Every day, founder members of this party are distancing themselves from it, most of them disillusioned by the party’s confusion, highhandedness of the powerful few who control the party, an opaque ticket distribution process and deviation from the original objective of the fight against corruption.Last heard, Kejriwal was apparently threatening to throw all #Paidmedia in jail if he assumes power in Delhi. India’s own Pol Pot in the making!

Is this the change we seek?