Why Deepender Hooda's Donald-McDonald sound bite is old potato
Questioning the Modi government over Trump's claims of having brokered the peace between India and Pakistan, Hooda said: 'You need to choose either of the two. Either be an adversary or friends with America. Either hold talks and improve relations, or silence Donald Trump. Else, shut down McDonald's in India.'
The play on words had many MPs in splits. However, 13 years ago, also addressing the Lok Sabha, Hooda had issued an invite to the multinational fast food giant to open an outlet in Haryana. The Congress was in power at the Centre as well as in Haryana then, with Hooda's father Bhupinder Hooda the Haryana CM.
In his 2012 speech, Hooda, a long-time MP from Rohtak, promised '24-inch-long potatoes' as the reason for McDonald's to look at Haryana.
He was responding to then Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj's remarks that MNCs like McDonald's force farmers to dump their produce as it did not match their requirements. A grinning Hooda said, 'Sushmaji's statement that McDonald's is procuring potatoes from the US is wrong. Their potatoes are procured from Gujarat. If Gujarat (a BJP-ruled state) cannot produce the requisite size of potatoes, farmers in Haryana can produce them.'
McDonald's should 'not be afraid of anyone', Hooda added. 'If you think you will not be respected in Gujarat, come to Haryana, to Ambala. These people talk of six- to 12-inch potatoes, we shall give you 24-inch-long potatoes.'
Swaraj in response said she was just waiting to hear him out and chided Hooda for 'getting excited over two-foot-long potatoes'. 'He says he is the son of a farmer. Arre beta kisan ke bete ho, lauki aur aloo ka antar toh samajh lo (son, at least understand the difference between bottle gourd and potato),' she said.
After Hooda's remarks Monday in Parliament, senior BJP leader and Haryana minister Anil Vij said they showed he was being 'childish'. 'He (Hooda) said in Parliament that Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi 32 times. Is he counting? The PM has repeatedly said there was no intervention, so did the Pakistani deputy PM (Ishaq Dar) in a TV interview. You do not believe the PM, that is alright, but you have always favoured Pakistan. At least believe them,' Vij said, on Hooda's remarks.
On Hooda's reference to McDonald's, Vij said the Rohtak MP was not aware of what his own party has done in the past. 'He has forgotten that he himself invited them to Haryana,' he said.
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