“It was the conversation between him (journalist Punya Prasun Bajpai) and Annaji in Medanta Hospital which was the first conversation about making a political party. I was standing outside that room,” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) social media strategist Ankit Lal told Newslaundry.

Lal, in his book India Social, has detailed India Against Corruption (IAC) and AAP’s journey on social media. How both – a civil society movement and the political experiment – used social media as a potent tool to take on mainstream political parties and those in power.

The book, published by Hatchette India, also deals with PM Narendra Modi’s 2014 general election campaign, movements such as ‘Save The Internet’ and case proceedings and online campaign over Aadhaar card and the concept of privacy.

AAP chief and now Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was often mocked for his cough and muffler by the opposition parties. AAP turned the tables on social media right before the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls – making the hashtag #MufflerMan trend on Twitter for 19 straight days.

“To be frank, he (Kejriwal) has not reacted to me in person till date,” said Lal. He added: “Arvind was in vipasana when the banner trended.” While the MufflerMan banner was made by AAP’s UK-based volunteer Shadab, a homemaker based in Mumbai and AAP volunteer, Aarti gave the hashtag, added Lal.

When asked about the troll army taking shape within AAP’s social media circle, Lal defended the party by saying that Kejriwal is the only leader who has publically asked workers to refrain from such activities.

AAP’s volunteers had recently targeted ABP News and its editor Milind Khandekar on social media. Defending the campaign, Lal said we raised our voice when “some journalists with a biased approach did some story”. He added: “When some baseless news goes out from a channel of the stature of Aaj Tak or ABP (News) we are more concerned. We are not concerned about Republic TV.”

He also revealed how IAC reacted to the crisis when the administrative rights of its Facebook page were taken away by one of its activist – who parted ways.

Listen to his opinions on the connection between social networking and politics, the “troll army” of political parties, Aadhaar and Prashant Kishor’s campaign for Modi before the 2014 general elections.