‘Bidi-Bihar’ Row: Kerala Congress Admits Mistake, Issues Apology

The Kerala Congress on Saturday admitted to a serious lapse in judgment after a controversial social media post linking Bihar with "bidis" triggered a political storm. The party deleted the post and issued a public apology following widespread criticism.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph acknowledged the error, saying the party's social media team acted with a "mistake and lack of caution" in posting the remark. He clarified in a TV interview that the post was withdrawn and that those responsible had apologised. "The Congress does not endorse that," Joseph said.

Reports indicate that the controversy also led to the resignation of VT Balram, head of the KPCC's social media unit. The matter was later discussed with him by party leadership.

What Was the Post About?

The now-deleted post was made in the context of the Modi government's recent GST rate revisions, which included a cut in taxes on bidis. The KPCC's official handle posted: "Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered sin anymore."

Intended as a swipe at the GST changes, the post quickly went viral, drawing outrage for its perceived regional insensitivity and derogatory reference to Bihar.

Political Reactions

Bihar's deputy chief minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary condemned the remark, calling it an "insult to the entire Bihar." He accused Congress of repeatedly showing its true character, saying: "First, the insult to the revered mother of our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and now the insult to the entire Bihar-this is the true character of the Congress."

Leaders from Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United (JDU) also reacted strongly. Senior JDU leader Sanjay Kumar Jha described it as "another extremely shameful act" by the Congress.

BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla further criticised the post, stating: "Congress crosses the line again. After abusing PM @narendramodi ji mother now compares Bihar with Bidi! Does Tejashwi Yadav endorse this? From Revanth Reddy to DMK to Congress-their hatred for Bihar is evident."

The backlash has intensified pressure on the Kerala Congress, which has been forced to publicly distance itself from the post and acknowledge the misstep.