Vikram Sao, the Jhalmuri vendor, who served the popular snack to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jhargram during the Bengal Assembly election campaign is receiving death threats from unidentified foreign numbers. He revealed that he had been receiving “threatening, abusive and vulgar calls” every day from Bangladesh and Pakistan for the previous few days.
The vendor expressed, “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.” These elements even brandished several weapons in a video call as they threatened to murder him after greeting him with “assalamualaikum.” Afterwards, he stopped attending these calls. The threat was conveyed to him via WhatsApp message as well.
Jhargram, West Bengal: The Jhalmuri vendor, who had once served jhalmuri to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has claimed that he is receiving threats from Pakistan and Bangladesh
— IANS (@ians_india) May 22, 2026
Jhalmuri vendor Vikram Sao says, "They are calling from Pakistan and threatening that they will… pic.twitter.com/xJOe4cwuQI
Sao expressed that he uses cycle to return to his home at night and hence feels very worried about a possible attack in light of the recent development. He and his family is scared for his life and safety. He notified the authorities on 21st May (Thursday), who talked to him and provided him some policemen for security. He mentioned that the threats arose following his viral interaction with PM Modi. He added, “I am the sole provider for my household, and I request Prime Minister Modi to take action regarding my safety.” The matter escalated and is now under investigation.
PM Modi paid a surprise visit to Sao’s stall on 19th April after addressing a rally amid the high-stakes political battle in the state. He asked the latter to prepare the snack for him after enquiring about the cost and agreeing to a serving of Rs 10. “Pyaaz khaate hain, dimag nahi khaate bas (I eat onions. I don’t eat brains),” PM Modi had good-naturedly replied when asked if he consumed onions.
In less than a day, the video of the exchange received millions of views on social media. Later, people started coming to the stall to find out about this chance meeting and he gradually gained traction. The encounter became a topic of discussion during the election that witnessed the unprecedented rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the first time in the state, while the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress was ousted from power after 15 years.
