‘Bidi-Bihar’ row: Deleted Congress post on GST sparks backlash; BJP hits back with ‘C for corruption’ | India News

NEW DELHI: The Kerala unit of Congress has triggered a significant political controversy with a now-deleted social media post linking the Centre’s new GST reforms to Bihar. The post on X, which mentioned “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore,” referred to the GST Council’s current choice to slash the tax on bidis from 28 per cent to 18 per cent.The cryptic comment was accompanied by a chart exhibiting the revised GST construction, the place taxes on cigars, cigarettes, and tobacco merchandise have been raised to 40 per cent whereas bidis noticed a steep discount. The post was swiftly deleted however not earlier than drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, Janata Dal (United).

Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP chief Samrat Choudhary accused the Congress of insulting the folks 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) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha additionally lashed out at Congress, calling the post “another extremely shameful act.” Responding in Hindi, Jha mentioned: “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 hyperlink the row with Bihar’s cultural and political historical past. “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 mentioned. He reminded Congress of the state’s contribution to India’s historical past, 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) chief additional warned that voters would reply strongly within the meeting elections due later this 12 months. “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 nationwide spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla additionally joined the assault, accusing Congress of harbouring an “anti-Bihar mentality.” In a video message, he mentioned: “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 thus far. The Kerala unit’s deleted post stays on the centre of the political slugfest, with each the BJP and JD(U) framing it as a direct insult to the folks of Bihar.The controversy comes in opposition to the backdrop of main tax adjustments accepted by the GST Council on Wednesday. The panel determined to simplify the construction from 4 slabs—5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent—to simply two, 5 and 18 per cent. A particular 40 per cent slab has been launched for sure items together with tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars, whereas bidi taxes have been lowered to 18 per cent. The GST on bidi wrapper leaves, often called tendu, was additionally reduce from 18 per cent to five per cent.Analysts say the row has added a political edge to what was anticipated to be a largely financial reform measure. With Bihar’s meeting polls approaching in November-December, the problem is probably going for use by the BJP-JD(U) alliance to focus on Congress over alleged “insults” to the state’s id and legacy.