THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state Congress leadership found itself in an embarrassing situation on Saturday after a satirical post on its official social media page against the new GST tariff announced by the Modi government backfired. The KPCC withdrew the post from its official page on X after it went viral.
The post comparing the Union government’s decision to lower the price of beedi to the Bihar election read: “Bidis and Bihar starts with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore.” With opposition leader in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, leading the campaign in Bihar for the INDIA front, the post was seen as a defamatory remark against Bihar.
Social media cell chairman V T Balaram asked the team to withdraw the post. The development has come at a time when the party is trying to wriggle out of the setback it suffered owing to the Rahul issue.
The charge of social media cell was given to Balaram as an additional one as he is holding the post of KPCC vice- president. Soon after Sunny Joseph was selected as new KPCC president, Balaram submitted a project report for the complete revamp of the social media cell.
He had also conveyed to the KPCC president his desire to vacate the post. “I have not vacated the post over the controversial post on social media,” Balaram told TNIE. “I have submitted the project report to KPCC and AICC. This is an additional charge,” he said. KPCC president Sunny Joseph also dismissed news reports that Balaram had resigned from the post.