The vendor who gained popularity after serving jhalmuri (spicy puffed rice) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Jhargram in West Bengal has allegedly received threats, police said.
“We received information and contacted the vendor, Vikram Sau. A general diary was lodged on Thursday. We are enquiring into it. The man received a threat message on his mobile on Wednesday,” a senior police officer from Jhargram, aware of the developments, said.
“The sender is probably from Pakistan as the code of the number was +92. I was threatened and told that my shop would be blown up,” Sau said.
PM Modi on April 19 had got out of his car at Jhargram during one of his campaign trails ahead of the state assembly polls and bought jhalmuri, a popular snack in West Bengal, from a small roadside shop while interacting with the vendor, Sau, and some local women and children. He paid ₹10 to the shopkeeper, who initially refused to accept any payment from the Prime Minister.
The video of the incident was widely shared on social media.
Modi’s snack break had turned political after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were seen distributing jhalmuri during rallies, celebrations and victory events in the state.