PATNA: A social media post by the Kerala Congress, likening Bihar to a bidi, has snowballed into a political storm in the state, with leaders cutting across party lines condemning the remark and demanding an apology.
The tweet, which read “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered sin anymore”, was deleted shortly after it appeared, but not before drawing sharp criticism from NDA leaders. The comment was made in the context of recent GST reforms that reduced the tax rate on bidis from 28 to 18%, while increasing duties on cigars, cigarettes, and other tobacco products to 40 percent.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, addressing a hurried press conference in Patna, distanced himself from the controversy. “I am not aware of Kerala Congress making any such remark. I have not seen the post, so I cannot make any comment on it. But if it (Kerala Congress) has made any objectionable remark against Bihar, it should definitely apologise,” he said.
The issue comes at a sensitive time, with assembly elections barely two months away. On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary said, “First, they insulted the revered mother of our honourable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi Ji, and now they insult the entire Bihar. This is the true character of Congress, which is being exposed before the country.”
Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nityanand Rai accused Congress and its ally RJD of taking pleasure in humiliating Biharis. “People of Bihar will teach a lesson to everyone who tries to hurt their self-respect.”
JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha called the post “extremely shameful,” adding, “B doesn’t just mean beedi, it also means buddhi (intellect), which you lack! … By making a mockery of Bihar, Congress has not only insulted the people once again, but mocked the glorious history of the country and democracy.”
Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar countered that the message was “twisted and wrongly presented before people” by the BJP and JD(U). “They have insulted Bihar and Biharis by twisting the message,” he said.
Blow to Nitish as 2 JD(U) leaders join Kishor’s party
The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) received a setback on Friday as two its prominent leaders, Dasai Choudhary and Bhuvan Patel, resigned from the party and crossed over to the Jan Suraaj Party—founded by Prashant Kishor—ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled to be conducted later this year.