A street vendor targeted by a group of YouTubers during the just-concluded Medaram Jatara has received widespread support from locals, influencers and political leaders after videos of the confrontation sparked online outrage.
Videos that went viral online showed individuals, said to be from a channel called Tejaswi News, approaching the vendor, identified locally as Wali, questioning the quality and price of the khova buns he was selling. The group expressed doubt as to how he could sell the product for ₹10 when similar items cost significantly more elsewhere, suggesting something was amiss.
The questioning soon took a communal turn, with members of the group demanding that the seller prove his identity. They were also seen asking him to eat the bread on camera to prove it was safe for both children and adults to eat.
The footage drew sharp criticism online, with several netizens accusing YouTubers of targeting the small businessman for “views and likes”. Influencers and members of the public visited the retailer’s location to show solidarity and encourage people to support his business.
In subsequent videos shared online, several residents were seen buying and consuming khova buns, saying they had been regular customers for years without any complaints. One woman reported that she ate this product often and never had any health problems. Another resident noted that there was no Hindu-Muslim divide in their area and that people had lived peacefully for years.
Political voices also weighed in. Telugu Desam Party’s Paritala Sreeram condemned the incident and called it cruel to publicly target a poor businessman struggling to earn a living.
“Hunger has no caste, self-respect has no religion. Everyone has a responsibility to respect everyone who works hard and supports their family. It’s cruel to drag the life of a poor petty trader selling a loaf of bread like this. Some people do it for views and likes on YouTube. If possible, we should stand with the poor, but it’s not right to suppress their voices like this,” he said on X.
Meanwhile, Mulugu local police said they have not yet received any formal complaint and no case has been registered in connection with the incident.
Published – 13 Feb 2026 21:10 IST