As the intense campaigning for the two-phased assembly elections in West Bengal continues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a light-hearted moment as he made an unscheduled stop to savour 'jhalmuri', which is a popular Bengali street food, in Jhargram. The prime minister's unusual stop surprised bystanders and the street vendor in Jhargram, who received a rare moment to interact with him.
His 'jhalmuri' break, however, has caused a political upheaval in West Bengal after the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren were forced to fly back to Ranchi after their chopper was denied permission to land due to PM Modi's extended stop in Jhargram for a snack.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the ruling party alleged that Soren and his wife, "two democratically elected leaders, were forced to wait for hours before they ultimately returned to Ranchi without completing their scheduled programme. It called PM Modi's impromptu break a 'photo-op' opportunity.
"Narendra Modi's Adivasi-Birodhi mindset has been exposed for all to see," the TMC said. "Because the "Pradhan Sevak" decided to extend his stay in Jhargram to eat Jhalmuri, Jharkhand Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren and his wife and MLA Smt. Kalpana Soren were denied permission to fly their chopper into Jhargram while Modi was present."
"This is the respect Modi has for Adivasi leaders. This is the regard he has for elected representatives who do not bend the knee before him. He came to Jhargram to court the Adivasi vote. He left having humiliated the very people he claimed to stand with," it added.
PM Modi's 'jhalmuri' break
Talking about PM Modi's 'jhalmuri' break, his snack stop for West Bengal's popular snack surprised the locals in Jhargram. In a video that has gone viral on social media, the prime minister could be seen handing over the money to the vendor, insisting that he accept the money.
Asked by the shopkeeper if all the standard ingredients would be used to prepare the delicacy, PM Modi said, "Everything excepting nimak (salt)". "In between four rallies across West Bengal on a packed Sunday, had some delicious Jhalmuri in Jhargram," PM Modi posted on X, sharing photos of his 'jhalmuri' break in Jhargram.
