Kolkata: Vikram Sao, the Jhalmuri vendor who served the popular snack to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Bengal Assembly election campaign in Jhargram, has allegedly been receiving death threats from unidentified foreign numbers. He claimed that for the past few days, he has been getting “threatening, abusive and vulgar calls” from callers allegedly based in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Speaking about the harassment, the vendor said the callers threatened to kill him and even warned of bombing him. He stated that he initially disconnected the calls without responding, but the harassment continued through repeated calls and WhatsApp messages. According to him, some callers also displayed weapons during video calls while issuing threats after greeting him with “Assalamualaikum.” Disturbed by the repeated abuse and intimidation, he eventually stopped answering unknown calls.
Sao said he is deeply worried about his safety as he travels home on a bicycle late at night and fears a possible attack amid the recent threats. He stated that both he and his family are living in fear. On May 21, he informed the authorities about the matter, following which police officials spoke to him and provided security personnel for his protection.
According to Sao, the threats began after his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi went viral on social media. Appealing for help, he said, “I am the sole breadwinner of my family, and I request Prime Minister Modi to take action regarding my safety.” The matter has since escalated and is currently under investigation.
Prime Minister Modi had paid a surprise visit to Sao’s Jhalmuri stall on April 19 after addressing a rally during the high-stakes Bengal Assembly election campaign. During the interaction, the Prime Minister asked Sao to prepare the snack for him after enquiring about the price and agreeing to pay Rs 10 for a serving. When Sao asked whether he ate onions, Modi jokingly replied, “Pyaaz khaate hain, dimag nahi khaate bas (I eat onions, not brains).”
The light-hearted exchange quickly went viral, garnering millions of views on social media within a day. Soon after, crowds began visiting Sao’s stall to meet the vendor who had interacted with the Prime Minister, bringing him widespread attention. The incident later became a talking point during the election, which saw the unprecedented rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, while the All India Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, was voted out of power after 15 years.
