A West Bengal jhalmuri seller who shot to prominence after serving the popular snack to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election campaign visit has claimed that he has been receiving threatening calls from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The popularity of his stall and its snacks surged remarkably after the PM's visit; however, the threatening phone calls have now left him worried.
According to reports by News18, the vendor Vikram Shaw claimed that unknown callers have been repeatedly abusing and threatening him over the phone since his interaction with the Prime Minister went viral during the Bengal Assembly election campaign.
“They are calling from Pakistan and threatening to blow me up with a bomb… I did not say anything to them, I simply disconnected the call. Then another call comes from Bangladesh asking whether I am alive or not. They are continuously harassing me. I am receiving several calls from unknown numbers where abusive and vulgar language is being used…” Shaw said.
Shaw had gained nationwide attention after PM Modi stopped at his roadside stall in Jhargram on April 19 and ate jhalmuri during a public outreach visit ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
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The incident later became a major political talking point, with BJP workers using jhalmuri as a campaign symbol during rallies and celebrations.
The Prime Minister had also referred to the episode during election speeches, saying, “I ate jhalmuri, but TMC felt the jhal (spice).”
Following Modi's visit, Shaw's stall reportedly witnessed a sharp increase in customers, drawing long queues and visitors from different parts of the country.
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