A political face-off has erupted in West Bengal after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his brief stop at a jhalmuri stall in Jhargram, linking it to alleged disruption of another political event.
TMC alleges disruption of campaign plans
In a post on X, the party claimed that the Prime Minister's extended stay led to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and MLA Kalpana Soren being unable to land their helicopter in Jhargram.
"Narendra Modi's Adivasi-birodhi mindset has been exposed for all to see. 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," the party said in a post on X.
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"Two democratically elected leaders. Grounded. Kept waiting for hours. And ultimately forced to return to Ranchi without completing their scheduled programme, all because a Prime Minister’s extended snack break and photo ops took precedence over their democratic rights and constitutional standing. 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. Bengal saw it. And Bengal will remember it on 4th May," it added.
Narendra Modi's Adivasi-Birodhi mindset has been exposed for all to see.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 19, 2026
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… pic.twitter.com/xK3WAUPjqO
PM's stop at jhalmuri stall draws attention
The remarks came after Modi, during his visit to Jhargram, paused at a roadside stall following a rally. He interacted with the vendor, saying, "Bhai, hume apna jhalmuri khilao."
As the snack was prepared, he asked, "Kitne ka hota hai jhalmuri?" and reached into his pocket to pay. In a lighter exchange, when asked about onions, he replied, "Haan, pyaaz khaate hain. Dimag nahi khaate bas."
Campaign heats up ahead of polls
The visit was part of a series of rallies across Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Medinipur, as the Bharatiya Janata Party intensifies its campaign against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government.
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In Jhargram, Modi also addressed broader political issues, including the collapse of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026 and allegations against the state government.
He said, "You gave 15 years to the ruthless TMC government. In these 15 years, what did the ruthless TMC sarkar give you? What did the Adivasi (tribal) areas get? Na padai, na kamai, na dawai, na sichai (no education, no earnings, no medicine, and no irrigation)... If you have to build even a small house, you have to rely on the TMC syndicate.
Be it an MP or MLA of the TMC, they don’t care about your problems. These people are just interested in filling up their tijoris (coffers). Here, the TMC has encroached upon hundreds of acres of tribal land."
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
