Latest entrant in Ludhiana West bypoll fray—AI-generated Punjabi diss tracks targeting Kejriwal

The Print

a day ago

Created without any credits and generated using AI, the source of the songs is not known, but these rather uncharitable songs are being widely shared on Facebook and Instagram.
Mostly centered around AAP national convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, these songs describe the plight of the party's Punjabi volunteers who, it is suggested, have been overlooked to favour the Delhi AAP team.
Chandigarh: With barely a week to go before the crucial Ludhiana West assembly bypoll, a blitzkrieg of AI-generated Punjabi rustic folk songs parodying the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi team's alleged capture of power in Punjab has taken over screens in the state.
While criticising Kejriwal and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia for 'having nothing to do' after their crushing defeat in Delhi Assembly elections and behaving like 'uninvited guests' in Punjab, the lyrics of these song also mock Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for willingly handing power to his 'bosses in Delhi'.
The songs, sung by unknown male and women artists are mouthed by AI-generated characters and in some videos animated versions of Kejriwal, Sisodia and Mann are used.
'Aari aari aari, tut pain Keju ne, jado di Dilli ae haari, dera Punjab la liya, moti besharmi dhaari…(ever since this Kejriwal has lost Delhi, he has shamelessly set up his base in Punjab…),' goes one song in Punjabi in a woman's voice.
'Sisodiye nu naal rakhda, naal rakhda gaddi sarkari, dilli hun janda ee nahi, pata nahi kedi bimaari… (he keeps Sisodiya with him, and also keeps a government vehicle, he doesn't go back to Delhi, God knows what problem he has…) 27 vich pucca torna, ehdi sir dee la ke khumaari..(in 2027, we will defeat him and end his state of of being drunk on power).'
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Songs being popularised by AAP rebels
Apart from Congress social media handles, these songs and videos are also being popularised by a host of AAP workers and volunteers who recently raised a banner of revolt against the AAP's Delhi team for virtually capturing power in Punjab through a series of controversial appointments of persons working in the party's Delhi team.
Starting with 10 days of 'vipassana (meditation)' at Hoshiarpur on 4 March this year, Kejriwal has been launching campaigns, inaugurating centres, and laying foundation stones of buildings—nearly every week in Punjab.
Since the Delhi debacle, Kejriwal has made only three public appearances in Delhi.
However, in Punjab, he has made roughly a dozen appearances, flying in a state government chopper along with CM Mann. Currently, without a steady abode in Punjab, Kejriwal enjoys the hospitality of party MLAs, who gladly host him during visits to the state.
Senior-most officers in Punjab are also purportedly reporting to Kejriwal, meeting him either during his visits to Punjab or going to Delhi to discuss files. Kejriwal has also appointed men loyal to him in key positions, expanding his footprint in the state.
Upset over the growing interference of the Delhi team in Punjab, rebel AAP workers and volunteers had on 1 June held a one-day protest in Patiala opposing the appointment of at least three dozen people from the Delhi team to key administrative posts in the Punjab government.
During the protest led by senior party workers including Iqbal Singh, Navjot Mehta, Priti Malhotra, Paramveer Singh Sidhu and Gurdeep Singh Baath, and other AAP volunteers gave an ultimatum to Mann to send the Delhi team back and instead give due respect to the party's workers in Punjab who had worked very hard to bring it to power in 2022.
'If we can help Mann come to power, we can also make sure that they do not come to power in 2027,' said Malhotra, talking to media persons during the protest. Malhotra, who used to head the women's wing of the party in Punjab, was removed from her post following the protest. On Wednesday, she joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the presence of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
'We have just begun our campaign today,' said Iqbal Singh talking to media persons.
'We will gather all those volunteers who worked selflessly for years for AAP in Punjab and are now feeling let down because of the capture of the party by Delhi leaders. We will organise a programme and go to Khatkar Kalan, from where the AAP movement started and seek forgiveness from Shaheed Bhagat Singh, in whose name we started this revolution in Punjab. We have made a big mistake and we are sorry for that,' said Iqbal Singh, a former spokesperson of the party.
Another song, purportedly sung by an AI-generted male character reflects this emotion, 'Jhaadu jitiya si, banda nahi si koi jitiya, inquilaab di si kiti tusi hathyaa…(it is the broom that had won, not any one particular person, but you killed the struggle that brought about the win…) saada haq maar ke, tu pachtaaenga, 27 ch Punjab haar ke… (you will regret that you have not given us our due, you will lose in 2027).'
When contacted, a senior AAP spokesperson refused to comment.
A song based on a popular folk song shows an animated version of Kejriwal and Sisodia singing, 'Bhajjan vele na mauka deyange, asi nahi koi hoka deyange, sama Punjab nu aukha deyange, bura kar deyange tohada haal…(we will not lose an opportunity before running away, nor will we tell you anything, we will give Punjab a bad time, we will make you miserable), naahi kursi deyange, saara lejaange Dilli nu maal, nahi auda deyange…(we will not give you any chair, we will take lots of money back to Delhi, we will not give you any position…)
'Daaru vala paisa naale, rete diya chorian, tajarba hai saada saanu ppata chor morian…(liquor scam money, illegal mining, we have prior experience and know all the loopholes in the system…) gallan gallan vich saar deyange, ne bhena nu rupaiya hazaar deyange, party cho kadd tuhanu baar deyange, hun bann nahi fer sarkaar…(we will just talk about doing things, we will not give the promised Rs 1,000 to women, we will throw you out of the party, we know we are not going to come to power again).'
Another AI-generated song also portrays the plight of the party volunteers.
'Asi dariya vichhande rahe jhaad ke, aude dilli vaale le gaye…sade cha saare paira ch litaar ke, aude dilli waale le gaye…(we kept spreading clean mattresses during rallies and gatherings but all the positions went to those from Delhi, all our wishes were strangled and the positions were given to those from Delhi).'
Apart from the songs which are supporting the AAP's Punjab team over the Delhi team, there are some created through AI to support Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu in the forthcoming Ludhiana West bypoll.
Ashu, a former MLA from the constituency is contesting against the frontrunner, AAP's Sanjeev Arora who is a Rajya Sabha MP. It is widely believed that Arora has been fielded in Ludhiana by the party to ensure a seat for Kejriwal in the Rajya Sabha.
The party is, as a result, pulling out all stops to win the Ludhiana West seat. The bypoll is on 19 June and was necessitated by the death of sitting AAP MLA Gurpreet Singh Gogi following an accidental fire from his own firearm in January this year.
'Raaj sabha jaan di khatir lalaji dimaag ladaya hai, Arora nahi see ladna chahunda, dhakke naal ladaya hai… (in order to go to the Rajya Sabha, lalaji (Kejriwal) has used his brains, Arora did not want to fight election, he is being forced to do so), haar ke Dilli vela hoya, chona vich see khela hoya, Punjab nu bhajya aayya hai… (he lost Delhi and has nothing to do now, he has come running to Punjab).
'Power de bina reh nahi sakda, tik ke ghar beh nahi sakda, satta da chaska laya hai… (he cannot live without power, he cannot sit at home, he is addicted to wielding authority…), Dilli model fail ho gaya, Kejri Dillion rel ho gaya, hun Chandigarh dera laya hai…(the Delhi model failed and Kejriwal ran away from Delhi and is now staying put in Punjab…), Anna andolan ch khaddi khatt gaya, inquilaab da mul vatt gaya, bada jhoot da bharam felaaya hai…(he made the most of the Anna movement, he even benefited from the struggle, he managed to deceive people with lies…).'
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Punjab is new Kingdom of Kejriwal as CM Mann plays host but Delhi AAP takes over power corridors