New Delhi, March 7: He came, was seen, and made a candid confession. After raining what by his own reckoning would count as "vile abuses" on "anti-nationals".
"People never followed me because of my songs," Bollywood singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya told journalists today at the Delhi University students' union office, where he had dropped by to provide moral support to the ruling ABVP.
They began following him "when I started showing patriotism" on Twitter --- that is, began vocally supporting the BJP and attacking its critics.
"I used to show off before too, but earlier my interviews used to appear after a month. Nowadays I do something every five seconds. Whenever I talk, I talk for India. I abuse Pakistanis openly, such vile abuses that my Twitter account has been suspended twice," he bragged.
Abhijeet had a couple of years ago been roasted for comparing the victims of a hit-and-run case against actor Salman Khan to dogs. At a rally led by Anupam Kher the same year to "tell the world that India is tolerant", the singer had not completed the sentence: "If anyone speaks against my country his m..."
The young men huddled around him did, threatening rape as punishment for "the mothers" of those who speak against India.
Abhijeet had yesterday tweeted his plan to drop in at the students' union office. It turned today's visit into an impromptu news conference.
"Everyday I gain 10,000 followers on Twitter. The fans of my music are increasing too: (perhaps they think) at least there's one singer who has something to do with the country and sings well too..." he said, before turning on film industry colleagues.
"People make films in the name of patriotism for money. (Director) Anil Sharma made Gadar against Pakistan. When we called for Pakistani artistes to be deported, Anil Sharma spoke in their favour. What can you expect from such two-faced people?"
Abhijeet, popular in the world of ultra-nationalist trolls, has 6.11 lakh Twitter followers but the "10,000 a day" claim may be a stretch.
The singer, arrested and given bail last year for abusing a journalist on Twitter, spewed vitriol at some of the ABVP's pet hates: Leftist students and teachers.
"If you call (JNU scholar) Umar Khalid a gandi naali ka keeda (worm from a dirty sewer), even the worm will commit suicide... Why is he in our country, he who says the country should be broken up? He should immediately be sent to the country he belongs to. Get his DNA test done, whether he was born in India or not (claps from ABVP members). Maybe he is an infiltrator.... He is not Indian," Abhijeet said.
Police are yet to file a chargesheet against Khalid, arrested with two others and released on bail last year for allegedly chanting seditious slogans.
"Don't hammer them so much; hammer their gurus more. Funded professors are (engaging in) anti-national activity," Abhijeet said, naming several well-known Delhi University and JNU professors.
"The ABVP is our unofficial army. They will reduce the burden of the army. They may be unable to expel traitors from the country but they will teach them a lesson and make them patriots.
"There should be a quota for the ABVP in the army, police and administration so the country is in safe hands. They are loveable, however they are. The country supports them. Whatever decision they take - right or wrong - we support it."
Even ABVP members began laughing at the suggestion.
Abhijeet referred to Aam Aadmi Party supporter and ad filmmaker Ram Subramanian as takle (bald man) and claimed the party was "using" Gurmehar Kaur, the anti-ABVP student activist.
Gurmehar tribute
Gurmehar's video from last year, calling for peace between India and Pakistan, was played on a TV screen today at the Delhi Assembly as it discussed the recent ABVP-led violence at Ramjas College. Never before has a video been played in the House.
Opposition leader Vijender Gupta rushed to the well in protest but was rebuffed by minister Kapil Mishra.
