Watch (if you dare): Arvind Kejriwal’s singing again, this time for the Punjab elections
Last week party member Kumar Vishwas put out a music video against drug abuse in Punjab and the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal leaders.
Delhi’s Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s style of politics is unique. While he has moved on from the muffler and the demonstrations, his penchant for singing remains. The video above, put up on the party’s Facebook page, has him singing an old Hindi song, Kishore Kumar's Aa Chal Ke Tujhe Main Leke Chaloon – from the 1964 film Door Gagan Ki Chaon Mein – with the lyrics changed to suit the occasion.
The song is now an anthem against, what else, corruption: “Jahan chor bhi na ho, jahan bhrasht be na ho, bas AAP ka raj chale (where there are no thieves or corrupt people, and AAP rules)”.
This song comes close at the heels of a music video put out by AAP member Kumar Vishwas, that is a thinly veiled attack against Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal. The party is contesting the assembly elections coming up in Punjab in 2017, and have started their campaign in this singsong way.
Kejriwal is remembered for famously breaking into song in 2013 – after being sworn in as Delhi's Chief Minister, he sang Paigham, another old Hindi film song, this time about brotherhood. The song is a particular favourite of his, for he sang it many times during his anti-corruption campaigns, and then again in February 2015 after being sworn in for the second time as Delhi's chief minister.
Another one of Kejriwal's favourites is a poem by Dushyant Kumar titled Ho Gayi Hai Peer Parvat. He sang this one too during his anti-corruption protests, and on numerous other occasions. The video below is from his appearance on the India TV show Aap ki Adalat in 2013.
The chief minister has also been serenaded on stage by former playback singer and now the BJP's Minister of State for Urban Development Babul Supriyo. This was at the launch of the New Delhi Municipal Council app in March this year.
At last year's trade fair Kejriwal shared the stage with singer Kailash Kher and sang Paigham once again.
When Pakistani singer Taher Shah's much-mocked song Angel released this year, the internet did what it does best.