'Bidis and Bihar start with letter B': Congress faces heat over X post; JDU retorts, 'B is for Buddhi too'

NEW DELHI: Congress’s Kerala unit triggered a political storm on Friday after posting a cryptic message on X linking the GST rate cut on bidis to Bihar.In a now-deleted post, the party wrote: “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore” — an apparent reference to the new GST regime announced by the Centre.The post was accompanied by a chart showing the proposed GST changes: cigars and cigarettes raised from 28% to 40%, tobacco from 28% to 40%, while bidis were slashed from 28% to 18%. The party later deleted the post.The remark, however, drew sharp criticism from JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, who called it “an extremely shameful act by the Congress.”"B doesn’t just mean beedi, it also means Buddhi, which you lack! B also means budget, which irritates you whenever Bihar receives special assistance,” Jha shot back.Accusing Congress of mocking the state’s people and heritage, Jha invoked Bihar’s historic legacy, saying: “It was on this sacred land that Adishakti Janaki appeared, Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, and the first draft of the Constitution was written. Bihar gave India its first President and the call for Total Revolution that uprooted Congress’s dictatorial rule.”He further warned that the people of Bihar would deliver a “befitting reply” in the upcoming assembly elections—“not with the smoke of a beedi, but with the blow of votes.”