Street vendor draws widespread support after harassment by YouTubers

A street vendor targeted by a group of YouTubers during just-concluded Medaram Jatara has received widespread support from locals, influencers and political leaders after videos of the confrontation sparked outrage online.

Videos that circulated online showed individuals said to be from a channel named Tejaswi News approaching the vendor, identified locally as Wali, and questioning the quality and pricing of the khova buns he was selling. The group raised doubts over how he could sell the product at ₹10 when similar items elsewhere cost significantly more, suggesting that something was amiss.

The questioning soon took a communal turn, with members of the group demanding that the vendor prove his identity. They were also seen asking him to eat the bread on camera to prove that it was safe for consumption by children and adults.

The footage drew sharp criticism online, with several netizens accusing the YouTubers of targeting a small trader for ‘views and likes’. Influencers and members of the public visited the vendor’s locality to express solidarity and encourage people to support his business.

In subsequent videos shared online, several residents were seen purchasing and consuming the khova buns, stating that they had been regular customers for years without any complaints. One woman said she had eaten the product frequently and had never faced any health issues. Another resident remarked that there was no Hindu-Muslim divide in their area and that people had lived peacefully for years.

Political voices also weighed in. Paritala Sreeram of the Telugu Desam Party condemned the incident, calling it cruel to publicly target a poor trader striving to earn a livelihood.

“Hunger has no caste, self-respect has no religion. Everyone has a responsibility to respect everyone who works hard and supports their family. It is cruel to drag the life of a poor small trader who sells a loaf of bread onto the road like this. Some people are doing such things for views and likes on YouTube. If possible, we should stand by the poor, but it is not right to suppress their voices like this,” he said on X.

Meanwhile, the local police in Mulugu said they had not received any formal complaint in connection with the incident so far, and no case has been registered.