Jhalmuri vendor faces death threats after viral PM meet

The jhalmuri seller from Bengal who turned into an overnight sensation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi bought one of the State’s most popular snacks from his stall during an election rally is now allegedly receiving bomb and death threats from Pakistani and Bangladeshi numbers.

Bikram Sau, who runs a modest roadside stall in Jhargram, shot to fame on April 19 when PM Modi’s convoy made an unscheduled stop during the high-voltage West Bengal Assembly election campaign.

The Prime Minister stepped out, chatted briefly with Sau about his family, education and daily life, and paid `10 for a packet of jhalmuri, the iconic Bengali mix of puffed rice tossed with mustard oil, onions, peanuts, green chillies and spices.

The warm, unscripted interaction was captured on video and quickly went viral, drawing national media to the small stall and turning the humble vendor into a minor celebrity.

Sau, originally from Gaya in Bihar and now long settled in Jhargram with his family, had been selling the snack for years, earning a modest Rs 1,000-1,200 a day.  After Modi’s visit on (specific date if known), everything changed overnight: television crews and social media influencers thronged his shop, turning the jhalmuri moment into a brief political flashpoint as Trinamool Congress leaders dismissed it as “scripted drama.”

What began as a feel-good campaign story has, in recent days, taken a darker turn. Sau says that since the recent timeframe, he has received repeated threatening phone and video calls from numbers linked to Pakistan and Bangladesh, with callers allegedly abusing him, displaying weapons on camera, and issuing direct threats to blow up his stall and kill him.

“I am getting repeated threat calls. They are threatening to blow me up with bombs,” Sau told news agencies. “I am afraid for my life.” He added that his family is now living in fear.

Local police registered a complaint and began investigating the cross-border calls earlier this week. As authorities now scrutinise the numbers and trace the origin of the threats, security for Sau and his stall is currently under consideration.

This episode has sparked concern about the perils of sudden public attention in a polarised political climate.

Though harassed, Sau continues to run his stall, but the joy from his brief brush with fame has given way to anxiety. Jhalmuri remains a beloved everyday snack across Bengal; for one vendor, however, it has become a symbol of how quickly celebrity can invite danger.