NDA tears into Congress over ‘bidi-Bihar’ jibe, calls it insult to state

Patna/New Delhi: A Kerala Congress social media post purportedly linking Bihar to ‘bidis’ has triggered a fierce backlash from NDA functionaries, who accused the opposition party of insulting the state just weeks before assembly elections. The post on X read, “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore.” Though deleted later, it sparked outrage across Bihar.The controversy arose from the Centre’s decision to reduce GST on bidis from 28% to 18%, while raising it on cigarettes and tobacco from 28% to 40%. Kerala Congress initially shared a chart highlighting the changes, but its accompanying message was widely condemned as derogatory.Faced with criticism, Kerala Congress issued an apology and posted, “We see that our jibe at PM Narendra Modi’s election gimmick with GST rates is being twisted. Our apologies if you felt hurt.”BJP and its allies, however, seized on the remark. Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal said, “The leaders of the Congress party are engaged in insulting Biharis and Bihar.”Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, who had earlier defended the GST cut on bidis saying “poor people were engaged in Indian bidi production,” accused Congress of repeated insults. “RJD and Congress first insulted the PM’s mother and now they are insulting the entire Bihar. The real character of Congress has been exposed again. That is why the party which ruled the country for 55 years joined hands with Lalu Prasad and made Bihar a sick state. They cannot see the double-digit growth rate of Bihar,” he said.Union minister Nityanand Rai alleged that such a post could not have been made without the consent of Congress’s top leadership.JD(U) national executive president Sanjay Kumar Jha posted on X, “Another extremely shameful act of Congress! B does not only mean bidi, it also means intelligence, which you do not have! B also means budget, in which you feel irritated when Bihar gets special assistance. By making fun of Bihar, Congress has not only insulted the people of Bihar again, but has also made a mockery of the glorious history and democracy of the country. Believe me, the great people of Bihar will give a befitting reply in the upcoming assembly elections – not with the smoke of bidi, but with the blow of vote.”Union minister and LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan said, “This is not only the thinking of Kerala Congress, but the thinking of the entire party. Congress has never missed any opportunity to defame Bihar people. Congress’s mentality has always been against Biharis. Congress should answer how low it will go in degrading language for political gain.”JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad added, “It has been the old habit and mentality of Congress that it sees Bihar as an internal colony and does not leave any opportunity to belittle its pride, hard work and struggle.”HAM (S) national president and minister Santosh Kumar Suman said, “They insult the state and also ask for votes from the people here.”BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya also hit out on X, recalling Rahul Gandhi’s past video with bidi workers in Tamil Nadu. “Not long ago, Rahul shot a promotional video with bidi workers in Tamil Nadu, blaming GST for their woes. Now, with India rolling out GST reforms that give real relief to ordinary people, including in Bihar, Congress has shifted gears to target Bihar people instead. Does Rahul, or the Congress for that matter, even know where they stand on issues? This flip-flop, this inconsistency, is the real bane of Congress.”The row came on the heels of Modi himself raising the issue of personal insults against his mother by opposition leaders. NDA leaders said the fresh controversy would only harden the people’s resolve to reject Congress and its allies in Bihar.