Some social media analyst in Arvind Kejriwal’s amazing team possibly told Mr. Kejriwal that Twitter isn’t a rage in Punjab but online videos are. He probably checked the trends for Punjabi Rap and Hip-Hop videos and came up with this precious finding. And hence TalkToAK, a one of its kind video communique in which Arvind Kejriwal discussed a range of topics many of which didn’t come to a logical conclusion, and most of them ended with Modi.
I tried calling Arvind Kejriwal to ask for the free WiFi password but the phone lines were snoozing. However Vishal Dadlani was taking calls after calls. I smelled fish all around me and inside the Laptop screen. And then I got to know that TalkToAK was a fixed match. We exposed the reality of TalkToAK in a video that we shared on Facebook and Twitter. Here’s the video for those who missed it.
Amusing. Isn’t it?
TalkToAK was Kejriwal’s Man ki Baat (Man ki Baat about Modi). I do not know if Kejriwal actually needs to express his man ki baat. Because his life is an open book or rather an open Twitter Timeline.
Arvind Kejriwal used the video route to connect with people (read potential voters). He had his trusted lieutenant (Sisodia Ji) and even a customized Derek O’Brien (Dadlani that is).
TalkToAK was a very defensive session. Almost like a “here’s my excuse” session. Kejriwal was forced to respond and clarify on several issues ranging from corruption to behaviour of his MLAs, waste of public money in ads across the Seven Kingdoms, in the Free cities and even beyond the wall and of course suspension of his MLAs. The questions were cleverly planted but AK still managed to come out as defensive is…well…Shocking (as he often says).
Now as far as the show’s comparison with Man ki Baat is concerned, here are some differenes:
- PMO never advertised Mann Ki Baat using tax payers money. Infact when AIR initially advertised, PM himself disapproved of it strongly. It was stopped.
- PM’s Mann Ki Baat is around social issues that touches every section of the society and is never political. EC refused a stay on it during Bihar elections too.
- Every Mann Ki Baat receives around 3 lakh letters, many more emails, calls and SMS before the PM picks up on issues to speak on. It is the largest participative exercise of any PM.
- PM motivates and inspires students, women, social entrepreneurs and activists to do more for the society. He doesn’t take potshots or blame political opponents.
- Mann Ki Baat is never about personal promotion but betterment of the society.
Kejriwal has no focus on governance, only daily drama. His talk session is an extension of his dharna brand of politics.
A staged drama as ridiculous as TalkToAK can never be Man ki baat. It was a self-advert intended at the sole intent of shameless self-promotion. Although such gimmicks of the Aam Aadmi party have been major source of traffic on this website but for the sake of humanity, I believe it was the first and last edition of TalkToAK.