Shikanji seller started Coca-Cola, dhabawallah McDonald’s, says Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi offered interesting analogies on Monday to argue that skilled OBC communities are being given short shrift by the Modi government, unlike abroad where the owner of Coca-Cola used to sell shikanji (lemonade) in the US while the owners of McDonald’s ran a “dhaba”.

Rahul said besides Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, top automobile companies like Ford, Mercedes and Honda were started by mechanics. The analogies came at an OBC convention of the party, where Rahul sought to illustrate the point that unlike meritocratic systems abroad, the government was not giving opportunities and financial support to “highly skilled” backward communities in India.

“Everyone must have heard about the Coca-Cola company. Who started this company, does anyone know? He sold shikanji in America. He used to mix sugar in water. His talent was honoured and he got money and started the Coca-Cola company,” he said.

Just three people can’t run India, says Rahul

Rahul added, “You must have heard about McDonald’s company, which is seen everywhere. Who started it and what did he do? He used to run a dhaba. You show me a ‘dhabawalla’ in India who has created a company like Coca-Cola. Where is it? Show me one automobile company started by a mechanic.”

He blamed the Modi government and RSS, saying “our dhabawallahs or mechanics” do not lack knowledge but doors of banks and politics are shut for our ‘dhabawallahs’, mechanics, ‘dhobis’ and other backwards.

Promising to give OBCs their “due share” in politics, Rahul attacked PM Modi for saying India lacks skills and requires skilling. He said the PM’s remark was a “lie” as OBCs were highly skilled but were not being given opportunities.

Rahul said BJP’s backward MPs had complained to him that they helped “Modi become PM but he allows them no voice in the party” and all the power lies with RSS.

“India has become a slave of BJP’s few leaders and RSS. It is good, and nobody can stop it, that the entire opposition, Congress or Janata Dal, is coming together. In six months or one year, Modi, Amit Shah and Mohan Bhagwat will see the power of India. They will understand that three people cannot run India. It will be run by its people, its youth,” he said.

The Congress President also said the Centre had waived loans to the tune of Rs 2.5 lakh crore for 15 industrialists but had done nothing for dying farmers.