Shri Ram Sene leader Pramod Mutalik wants to 'cleanse' India. And he's more than willing to knock on your door if you won't listen to him. A medieval man stuck in a new age India, with a warped sense of history and ideology? Or, a mischief monger out to gain power and fame at all costs? You decide

At the Oscar awards ceremony, A R Rahman said he always had the choice between love and hatred. And that he always chose love. And look where it got him. Shri Ram Sene leader Pramod Mutalik, on the other hand, always chose hatred. Hatred against other religions, "loose and forward women", pubs, dating, Gandhiji, western nations, it's a long list. And guess what? He isn't doing too badly for himself. A single attack on a little known pub in sleepy Mangalore has catapulted him into a global celebrity.

I meet the fire spewing man at his "friend's house" in Mangalore. Perhaps because the Ram Sene's office faces closure; there are 45 criminal cases registered against Mutalik. And he's literally on the run in his Maruti Swift, with negligible security cover. I am welcomed warmly with folded hands, graciously offered tea and lunch, Mutalik is all smiles, and I almost feel I am catching up with a long lost uncle. Till he opens his mouth, that is.

Sir, what is Shri Ram Sene's staff strength? How many people have signed up?
We started the organisation three years ago. We have 68,000 members in Karnataka and we are looking for new memberships from April this year. My people visit villages and towns to seek new memberships. Actually, the media has helped make us a national name (smiles). So on March 29, we have called for an all India meeting in Delhi. We have already received enquiries from nine states. We want to make Shri Ram Sene an all India organisation.