Bengal elections 2026: PM Modi takes ‘jhalmuri break’ during campaign

Weather ePaper Today’s Paper Journalism of Courage Home ePaper Politics Explained Opinion India Business Premium Cities UPSC Entertainment Sports World Lifestyle Tech Subscribe Sign In TrendingUPSC OfferIPL 2026US NewsPuzzles & GamesLegal NewsFresh TakeHealthResearch🎙️ Podcast Advertisement function checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript() { if (window.jQuery) { // jQuery is loaded, include your script jQuery(document).ready(function($) { // Your existing script for checking window width if (window.innerWidth) var page_w = window.innerWidth; else if (document.all) var page_w = document.body.clientWidth; if (page_w > 1024) { $(".add-left, .add-right").show(); } else { $(".add-left, .add-right").hide(); } }); } else { // jQuery is not loaded, check again after 0.2 seconds setTimeout(checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript, 200); } } // Initial call to the function checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript(); NewsTrendingTrending in India‘I eat onions, not brains’: PM Modi’s Jhalmuri break in Bengal’s Jhargram goes viral ‘I eat onions, not brains’: PM Modi’s Jhalmuri break in Bengal’s Jhargram goes viral Despite the vendor’s reluctance to accept payment, PM Modi insisted on paying. By: Trends Desk3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 20, 2026 10:09 AM IST While preparing the snack, the vendor asked, “Aap pyaaz khaate hain (Do you eat onions)?” (Image source: @narendramodi/X) Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unexpected stop in Jhargram to enjoy a serving of ‘jhalmuri’, a beloved Bengali street snack, during his election campaign in West Bengal. ‘Jhalmuri’, which is prepared by mixing puffed rice, chillies, and traditional Indian spices with a dash of mustard oil, is widely popular across the region. Sharing a video of the moment on his official X account, the prime minister captioned it, “Jhalmuri Break in Jhargram!” In the now-viral video, Modi is seen approaching a vendor and requesting him, “Bhai, hume apna jhalmuri khilao (Brother, please treat me with your jhalmuri).” He also enquired about the price of the snack. The vendor shared that the price ranged from Rs 10 to Rs 20, depending on the order. Despite the vendor’s reluctance to accept payment, PM Modi insisted on paying, saying, “Arey nahi nahi bhai, aise nahi (No no brother, don’t do this).” While preparing the snack, the vendor 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 people’s brains).” Jhalmuri break in Jhargram! pic.twitter.com/LJNjEojAW4 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2026 Sharing a series of photos, PM Modi wrote, “Amidst four public meetings spanning across West Bengal on a hectic Sunday, I savored some delicious spicy puffed rice in Jhargram.” ব্যস্ত রবিবারে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ জুড়ে চারটি জনসভার ফাঁকে, ঝাড়গ্রামে সুস্বাদু ঝালমুড়ি খেলাম। pic.twitter.com/VqIrc0zrmR — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2026 The video has since gone viral across all social media platforms, amassing 11 million views and a wave of reactions. “Sir you made a simple tea famous and now Startups have made it big by opening small cafés in different tea brands. You made a round necked jacket into now what is called a Modi jacket by giving it a smart look without any sleeves. You made world leaders get into a habit of doing Namaskar. I am sure now a simple Jhalmuri will be more famous and many street food vendors and startups will gain from it,” a user wrote. “Bengal and jalmuri… unbreakable bond… I remember when I went to delhi for my studies from Bengal and use to return via train in holidays … I use to wait for the train to enter Bihar Bengal border where I could get authentic Bengal jalmuri,” another user commented.