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After the controversy escalated, Kerala Congress removed the post and also apologized publicly. Along with this, the head of the social media cell VT Balram has resigned due to the controversy.
Kerala Congress admits mistake over 'Bidi-Bihar' controversy
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Congress on Saturday apologized for the controversial social media post in which an attempt was made to link Bihar with 'Bidi'. The post was shared on the party's official social media handle in the context of the change in GST rates, but it gave rise to a sharp reaction and controversy in politics. After the controversy escalated, Kerala Congress removed the post and also apologized publicly. Along with this, the head of the social media cell VT Balram has resigned due to the controversy.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Sunny Joseph accepted the matter and said that it was a big mistake and negligence on the part of the social media team. He told a TV channel that this post was put on X platform without any caution. Sunny Joseph said, "The post has been removed. The person responsible apologized and removed the post. The party does not support such comments." He further said that the matter was discussed with former MLA VT Balram, who was in-charge of the KPCC digital media cell.
The controversial post read, "Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered sin anymore," which meant that both Bihar and bidi start with 'B' and should not be considered a sin anymore. The post was focused on the Modi government's decision to reduce GST rates on bidis. However, the post was termed as insensitive and insulting towards Bihar.
As soon as the post went viral, there was an uproar in Bihar politics. The leaders of the alliance involved in the Bihar government criticized the Congress. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Chaudhary termed it as an 'insult to the entire Bihar'. He wrote on X, "First the insult of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother and now the insult of the entire Bihar - this is the truth of Congress, which is repeatedly coming in front of the country."
JDU member Sanjay Kumar Jha also called it another shameful step of the Congress. BJP national spokesperson Shahzad Poonawala also took a tough stand on the issue and said, "Congress has crossed the line again. After abusing PM Modi's mother, now it links Bihar with bidi. Does Tejashwi Yadav support this? From Revanth Reddy to DMK and Congress, their hatred towards Bihar is clearly visible."
After this controversy, Kerala Congress took immediate action and removed this post and apologized. The criticism on this matter on social media forced the party to admit its mistake and take corrective steps. VT Balaram's resignation is also being considered a result of this controversy.
We see that our jibe at Modi's election gimmick with GST rates is being twisted.
Our apologies if you felt hurt. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/c5bMtgwW5s
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) September 5, 2025
This matter has once again underlined the need to be cautious on social media, where a thoughtless post can cause political and social controversy. Congress has taken a lesson from this incident and said that they will not repeat such negligence in future.
