Jalebis (Inset: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi).
Credit: iStock, PTI Photos
Jalebis and Rahul Gandhi have become the favourite source of entertainment for some BJP leaders after the Congress was routed in the Assembly elections in the state despite most exit polls predicting a comeback for the grand old party in Haryana after a decade.
The official X handle of the BJP's Haryana unit posted a screenshot of a Swiggy order placed for a kilogram of the classic Indian sweet that they had ordered for Rahul Gandhi's address, 24, Akbar Road, which also happens to be the AICC headquarters.
So, how did the 'jalebi' connect happen? Let's take a look:
Gandhi had gone to Haryana's Gohana for an election rally where he mentioned from the stage his fondness for the jalebis made by a local 'halwai'.
The Gandhi scion was of the opinion that the jalebis made by this Matu Ram Halwai are good enough to be sold throughout the country, and can even be exported.
During his speech at the rally, Gandhi said he tasted the famous Matu Ram halwai's jalebi in the car and sent a message to his sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that "today I have eaten the best jalebi of my life".
"I am bringing a box of jalebi for you too," said Gandhi.
"Then I told (Congress leaders) Deepender and Bajrang Punia ji that this jalebi should go to the whole world," he told the rally.
He went on to add that if produced in bulk in a factory, these jalebis can be a source of employment.
His comments did not go down well with a section of social media users who trolled him for suggesting jalebis can be made and exported to other countries.
However, the jalebis were not limited to Gandhi. Even PM Modi had gone to the same constituency and mentioned Matu Ram in his speech, albeit in a dig at the Opposition.
Attacking the I.N.D.I.A bloc, Modi had then said they have a formula of having five prime ministers in five years if they come to power.
"Ask them is the prime minister's post our Matu Ram ki jalebi?" the Prime Minister said.
A history of Matu Ram's jalebis
Matu Ram's grandson Raman Gupta told PTI that the jumbo-sized sweet was introduced in 1958 in Gohana by his late grandfather.
"Me and my brother Neeraj run the shop now," Raman said on Friday.
"The jalebi is made of pure desi ghee, is crispy yet soft and each one weighs around 250 grams. A box of four pieces weighing a kg costs Rs 320. The shelf life of the sweet is more than a week," he said.
Giving details of how the famous shop in Gohana came into being, Raman Gupta said initially the idea behind the jumbo-sized jalebi was to cater to farmers.
"Gohana has a big grain market. The farmers used to toil very hard in the fields and even in adverse weather conditions. The big jalebi made of pure desi ghee not only gave them the needed calories, but it also had a shelf life of many days.
"Initially, it was a small shop and over the years when it became famous, even top politicians crossing through Gohana used to spare time to relish the sweet," he said.
Raman Gupta (37) says even former deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal was fond of Matu Ram's jalebis.
"In the ongoing Haryana elections, Chief Minister Nayab Saini ji and Congress leader Deepender Hooda made a brief halt at our shop," he said.
He also said the family had to approach the high court earlier and file a suit against several traders who have been preparing and selling jalebis in the name of Matu Ram, thus violating the copyright trademark.
With PTI inputs