West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh on Saturday condemned the alleged threats received by a jhalmuri vendor from Jhargram who had served Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a political rally. Reacting to the reports, Ghosh said attempts to create unrest and spread tension in the country would not be tolerated and would be answered firmly.

Speaking to the media, Ghosh accused certain groups of trying to disturb peace through such incidents. He asserted that the current government would respond strongly to any such actions. “Some people try to create tension in India through these kinds of acts. Those days are over now. We are in government, and everything will be answered appropriately,” he said.

According to reports, the vendor allegedly received threatening WhatsApp messages after serving jhalmuri to PM Narendra Modi during an election rally in Krishnanagar in April. Ghosh also criticised Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee over her recent meeting with party MLAs regarding protests against the alleged “bulldozer culture.” He remarked that such meetings would have carried more significance if they had taken place earlier during the TMC’s tenure in power.

Ghosh claimed the state administration had previously failed to understand public grievances and said the current discussions came too late. The Chief Minister was unaware of what was happening in Bengal. Had these meetings been conducted earlier and people’s concerns understood in time, the situation today would have been very different,” he stated.

The remarks come after the All India Trinamool Congress announced statewide protests in Kolkata and nearby regions on May 21 against the alleged forced eviction of hawkers and what the party described as a “bulldozer culture” under the newly formed BJP-led NDA government in West Bengal. Political tensions in the state have intensified following the recent Assembly election results, where the BJP won 207 seats, ending the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule. The TMC secured 80 seats in the elections.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.