'Bihar, Bidis Start With B': Kerala Congress's GST Post Sparks Row, BJP Calls It 'Insult To People'

The Kerala unit of Congress sparked a huge row with a social media post on the Centre's Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms. In a now-deleted post on X, the Congress said that "Bidis and Bihar start with B" and "cannot be considered a sin anymore", referring to the GST cut on the tobacco product. The 'X' post from the Kerala Congress targeted the recent GST reforms brought by the Union Government, where the tax rates on Cigar, Cigarettes and Tobacco were increased to 40 per cent. In contrast, the rates on Bidis were brought down from 28 to 18 per cent.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary called it an "insult to the entire 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.

पहले हमारे माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी की पूजनीय माता जी का अपमान और अब पूरे बिहार का अपमान - यही है कांग्रेस का असली चरित्र, जो बार-बार देश के सामने उजागर हो रहा है। twitter/VvliP16tTJ

- Samrat Choudhary (@samrat4bjp) September 5, 2025

Sanjay Kumar Jha, a member of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United (JDU), called it "another extremely shameful act" by Congress.

"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," he posted on X in Hindi.

"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," the Rajya Sabha MP added.

"Believe me, the great people of Bihar will give a befitting reply to the repeated insults by the Congress in the upcoming assembly elections," he said, referring to polls due in November-December this year.

कांग्रेस की एक और अत्यंत शर्मनाक हरकत!आपको बता दें कि B से सिर्फ बीड़ी नहीं, बुद्धि भी होती है, जो आपके पास नहीं है!B से बजट भी होता है, जिसमें बिहार को विशेष सहायता मिलने पर आपको मिर्ची लगती है।#बिहार का मजाक बनाने की नीचता कर कांग्रेस ने न केवल बिहारवासियों का फिर से अपमान... twitter/y6Z4Qj3Yua

- Sanjay Kumar Jha (@SanjayJhaBihar) September 5, 2025

BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed Congress and said the post reflects the party's "anti-Bihar mentality".

"If they're saying B for Bidis and B for Bihar, then they should also know C for Congress and C for corruption," Mr Poonawalla said in a video statement.

Union Minister Nityanand Rai also launched an attack, saying that the party takes "pleasure" in insulting Bihar and its people. Rai said that people of Bihar will teach a lesson to everyone who has the intention to hurt Bihar and its "self-respect".

"Congress leaders across the country and all RJD leaders in Bihar take a pleasure in insulting Biharis. They take pride in humiliating Biharis and Bihari pride. People of Bihar will teach lesson to all such people who hurt Biharis and their self-respect...What will they (Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav) say (about this), it is they who make them say all this," Nityanand Rai said.

GST Reduced On Bidis

As per the new rates decided by the GST Council on Wednesday, bidis will now attract a tax of 18 per cent, as opposed to the earlier rate of 28 per cent. It also reduced the rates on bidi wrapper leaves, also known as tendu, from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

MENAFN05092025007385015968ID1110021401