Amidst a grueling schedule of four back-to-back rallies in poll-bound West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a brief detour to savor one of the state’s favorite street snack. The candid interaction has since set social media abuzz.

In the middle of a high-octane campaign trail in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi swapped political rhetoric for a paper cone of Jhal Muri (puffed rice served with spice in a paper cone), a popular street snack item in West Bengal.

The viral moment on Sunday came after PM Modi had led BJP’s rallies across Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, and Medinipur districts in West Bengal.  The stop came after a public meeting in Jhargram, a tribal-dominated district that is central to the BJP’s outreach in the Junglemahal region.

Interaction between Jhal Muri seller and PM Modi

After concluding his address in Jhargram, PM Modi walked up to a jhalmuri stall and said, “Bhai, hume apna jhalmuri khilao.” As the vendor prepared the snack, the Prime Minister engaged him in a brief chat that soon attracted the attention of many local residents nearby. 

In the video showcasing the Prime Minister’s interaction with the Jharmuri seller, the local eatery owner was seen smiling from cheek to cheek as he served the prime minister of India. 

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Notably, when PM Modi asked the local eatery owner about the price of the Jhalmuri, he mentioned the price ranged between Rs 10-20 depending on the order, but gestured that he will not accept payment from the prime minister.

 PM Modi,  however, gently refused his request and proceeded to pay him Rs 10. While preparing Jhal Muri for the PM, the vendor cautiously asked, “Aap pyaaz khaate hain?” (Do you eat onions?), to which the prime minister responded by saying, “Haan, pyaaz khaate hain. Dimag nahi khaate bass.” (Yes, I eat onions. I just don’t eat [trouble] people’s brains.)

During PM Modi’s visit, the eatery, which is usually a quiet spot for locals, saw an immediate surge in visitors. Within minutes of the stop, slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Narendra Modi Zindabad” echoed through College Mor as locals scrambled to capture the moment on their phones.

Following his visit, the Prime Minister also shared the glimpses of his snack break on X. “In between four rallies across West Bengal on a packed Sunday, had some delicious jhalmuri in Jhargram,” he wrote, accompanying the post with photos of him sampling the snack and interacting with the vendor.