Jhargram: A jhalmuri seller from this small town in the southern part of West Bengal is allegedly receiving death threats for selling his product to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter’s election tour to the state.
The calls are allegedly from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The seller, identified as Vikram Sau, claimed that unknown callers have been repeatedly threatening and abusing him over the phone following his interaction with the Prime Minister that went viral, as reported by The Times of India.
The threatening calls have been coming daily for the past few days from international numbers, he claimed.
“I am getting repeated threat calls from Pakistan via video and phone calls. They are threatening to blow me up with bombs,” Sau told news agency IANS.
“I did not say anything to them; I just disconnect the calls. Then another call is coming from Bangladesh asking whether I am alive or not.”
Some callers made frightening gestures during video calls and allegedly brandished weapons while threatening him with “dire consequences”, he claimed.
He has been receiving repeated calls from unknown numbers along with abusive language and harassment, the small-time trader claimed.
He informed the police about the threats and a few policemen have now been assigned for his security, Sau said.
Both he and his family are now worried for their safety amid the repeated threat calls, he said. The police have reportedly launched a probe after the matter was escalated.
Sau said that despite the probe, he fears for his safety as he travels alone on his bicycle. “I go alone on my cycle and feel afraid for my life,” he said, adding that he is the sole breadwinner of his family.
He also appealed to Prime Minister Modi to ensure his protection.
The PM’s visit to the jhalmuri stall was something that got him connected to the grassroots.
Modi walked up to the stall after addressing a rally and said, “Bhai, hume apna jhalmuri khilao.”
During the brief interaction, PM Modi asked the vendor about the price of the snack and later joked, “Haan, pyaaz khaate hain. Dimag nahi khaate bass,” after the vendor asked whether he eats onions.
While Sau refused to accept payment at first, the PM insisted on paying out of his own pocket.
The video of the interaction quickly went viral on social media and crossed millions of views within a day. Curious locals later began visiting Sau’s stall to hear about his interaction with the Prime Minister.
The TMC was clearly outfoxed by this move by Modi and began criticising him. Former chief minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee called it a “drama” during a rally in Birbhum.
Jhalmuri soon became a symbol of victory for BJP workers in several parts of the country.
