Viral Amritsar clip shows vendor fishing live rat from pani puri mix - 'Please say it's AI'

• Video shows live rat in pani puri mix at Amritsar street stall
• Clip sparks online debate over street food hygiene standards
• Incident renews calls for stricter food safety oversight

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A disturbing video emerging from Amritsar has once again thrust the spotlight onto the hygiene standards of India's ubiquitous street-food trade, after a live rat was filmed inside a container of pani puri mixture.

The footage, originally shared on Instagram by a content creator, captures the moment he and a companion noticed movement within a large bowl of spiced water and masala at a roadside stall. The clip shows a rat, heavily coated in the mixture, scrambling inside the container as the vendor attempts to remove it. Within seconds, the rodent manages to extricate itself from the bowl and scurries into a nearby drain.

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The vlogger, who posted the video with the caption "Rat in Pani Puri," stated that he immediately instructed the vendor to discard the contaminated contents, a demand that was complied with on the spot.

Since its upload, the video has amassed lakhs of views, triggering a fierce online debate that has divided social media users. While many have expressed visceral disgust, pointing to the footage as evidence of endemic hygiene issues, others have questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The discourse quickly moved to speculation. One user commented on the apparent cleanliness of the stall's surroundings, asking, "The rest of the setup looked really clean. So what happened there? Did it enter after the cart was already on place, or was it from long before?"

Another offered a tentative defence, suggesting the rodent must have entered only moments prior, noting, "how was it even alive for that long. Anyways, it’s a good thing that you people asked the vendor to throw the water away."

Conversely, more critical voices seized on the incident as emblematic of broader regulatory failures. "Indian street food hygiene in a nutshell," one user remarked. Others met the visuals with dark humour, referencing the Pixar film "Ratatouille," while a significant contingent pleaded for the clip to be a fabrication, with one viewer writing, "Please say it’s AI."

The incident has renewed calls for stricter oversight of the informal food sector, which operates under the purview of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

It follows a similarly alarming case in December last year, when authorities in Ghazipur were forced to seal a restaurant after a video surfaced allegedly showing a dead rat in a customer's plate of curd. That incident prompted swift intervention from senior officials and action by the local food safety department.