Netizens troll Rahul Gandhi for saying Coca-Cola owner sold ‘Shikanji’

Gandhi was trying to take a jibe at PM Modi and make a point that while big businessmen are given all the privileges, farmers who work behind the scenes are being ignored while he made the interesting analogy. Soon with hashtag #AccordingToRahulGandhi meme-makers took a sarcastic route to counter his claim.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Coca-Cola was founded by a person who used to sell ‘Shikanji’ in America while the founder of McDonald’s used to run a ‘dhaba’ in the country. Talking at the national OBC convention for the party at Talkatora Stadium in the Capital, the Congress leader took a jibe at the Opposition by saying he wants to see those dhaba owners in India who have turned into the founders of Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. However, the politician’s unusual remark grabbed attention from all sides.

A small clip from his address was shared by news agency ANI on Twitter and soon the video got everyone talking.

#WATCH Congress President Rahul Gandhi talks about origins of the Coca-Cola & McDonald's company, says, "Coca-Cola company ko shuru karne wala ek shikanji bechne wala vyakti tha…" #Delhi pic.twitter.com/MATnaR734J

— ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2018

Soon, the hashtag “#AccordingToRahulGandhi” became on of the top India Twitter trends, as thousands mocked the Congress leader over his statements.

Founder of Harley Davidson #AccordingToRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/HtzpsQoX0D

— Srikanth (@srikanthbjp_) June 11, 2018

Coca Cola's owner in his earlier days.. selling Shinkanji.. #AccordingToRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/BMc2UNHByO

— Paresh Rawal fan (@Babu_Bhaiyaa) June 11, 2018

Meet Jack, founder of Twitter #AccordingToRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/3vc57y1y5K

— Yo Yo Funny Singh (@moronhumor) June 11, 2018

#AccordingToRahulGandhi Current CEO of Facebook. pic.twitter.com/CidacJEjDB

— Uddhham ~Sing~ (@UddhhamSingh) June 11, 2018

Most recent pic of Albert Einstein #AccordingToRahulGandhi ?? pic.twitter.com/xUVb9a3LyL

— SAMIR SHAH ?? (@samirbsha) June 11, 2018

#AccordingToRahulGandhi

McDonald Dhaba Owner found. pic.twitter.com/n7SemhZKQb

— भारत वर्ष (@gprasad28) June 11, 2018

Saif Ali Khan started as a petrol pump attendant before he became a famous actor. #AccordingToRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/Mh09G1dJ6g

— The-Lying-Lama 2.0 (@KyaUkhaadLega) June 11, 2018

https://twitter.com/Sohni_Bose/status/1006117871448031234

Gandhi went on to ask the gathering if they had heard of the Ford company, Mercedes and Honda and who had started them.

“It was a mechanic. Ford and Honda were mechanics. You show me an automobile company in India that was started by a mechanic. Where is it? It is not that our people, our ‘dhaba-wallahs’ do not have sense and strength. It is not that India’s mechanics did not have the potential as that of Ford or Mercedes. It is that if the doors of bank are open for Ford, Mercedes, then the doors of banks and politics are shut for our ‘dhabawalas’, mechanics and ‘dhobis’ and other backwards,” he said at the convention.

Someone also ‘tampered’ with the Wikipedia page of John Pemberton, the American pharmacist who is best known as the developer and founder of Coca-Cola. In the first paragraph of the Wikipedia page, someone added: “He used to sell lemonade (Shikhanji) in his earlier days along with Gandhi family.”

However, this flippant addition was removed shortly afterwards.

The Wikipedia page made no mention of Pemberton ever being involved in the lemonade business.

It describes Pemberton, who lived from July 8, 1831 to August 16, 1888, as a pharmacist who in May 1886 developed an early version of a beverage that would later become world-famous as Coca-Cola. He sold his rights to the drink shortly before his death.