NEW DELHI: The Kerala unit of Congress has triggered a major political controversy with a now-deleted social media post linking the Centre’s new GST reforms to Bihar. The post on X, which said “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore,” referred to the GST Council’s recent decision to slash the tax on bidis from 28 per cent to 18 per cent.The cryptic remark was accompanied by a chart showing the revised GST structure, where taxes on cigars, cigarettes, and tobacco products were raised to 40 per cent while bidis saw a steep reduction. The post was swiftly deleted but not before drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, Janata Dal (United).
Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary accused the Congress of insulting the people of Bihar. “First, the insult to the revered mother of our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and now the insult to the entire Bihar—this is the true character of the Congress, which is repeatedly being exposed before the country,” he wrote on X. JD(U) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha also lashed out at Congress, calling the post “another extremely shameful act.” Responding in Hindi, Jha said: “Let me tell you that B doesn’t just mean bidi, it also means buddhi (intellect), which you lack. B also means budget, which makes you jealous when Bihar receives special assistance.”Jha went on to link the row with Bihar’s cultural and political history. “By making a mockery of Bihar, the Congress has not only insulted the people of Bihar once again, but has also mocked the glorious history of the country and democracy,” he said. He reminded Congress of the state’s contribution to India’s history, noting that “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.” The JD(U) leader further warned that voters would respond strongly in the assembly elections due later this year. “Believe me, the great people of Bihar will give a befitting reply to the repeated insults by the Congress in the upcoming assembly elections, not with the smoke of a beedi, but with the blow of votes,” Jha added.BJP’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also joined the attack, accusing Congress of harbouring an “anti-Bihar mentality.” In a video message, he said: “If they’re saying B for Bidis and B for Bihar, then they should also know C for Congress and C for corruption.”There has been no official response from Congress leaders so far. The Kerala unit’s deleted post remains at the centre of the political slugfest, with both the BJP and JD(U) framing it as a direct insult to the people of Bihar.The controversy comes against the backdrop of major tax changes approved by the GST Council on Wednesday. The panel decided to simplify the structure from four slabs—5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent—to just two, 5 and 18 per cent. A special 40 per cent slab has been introduced for certain goods including tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars, while bidi taxes have been reduced to 18 per cent. The GST on bidi wrapper leaves, known as tendu, was also cut from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.Analysts say the row has added a political edge to what was expected to be a largely economic reform measure. With Bihar’s assembly polls approaching in November-December, the issue is likely to be used by the BJP-JD(U) alliance to target Congress over alleged “insults” to the state’s identity and legacy. Go to Source
