Political Firestorm Erupts: Kerala Congress's 'Bihar Bidis' Post Ignites National Outcry Over GST and State Pride

A recent social media post by the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Kerala Congress has triggered a massive political controversy, drawing sharp condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and sparking a debate across the nation. The post, which featured a visual comparison of Bidis with the text 'Bihar Bidis starts with B', was part of a larger graphic criticizing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and its impact on various products, including essential commodities.

The graphic, intending to highlight alleged tax discrepancies under the GST regime, listed products whose names started with the letter 'B', such as Biscuits, Bread, Butter, and Band-Aid, along with their respective GST rates.

However, the inclusion of 'Bihar Bidis' and the accompanying image, implicitly associating the state of Bihar with this specific product, immediately drew the ire of political leaders and citizens alike.

BJP leaders were quick to denounce the post, labeling it as a blatant insult to the entire state of Bihar and its people.

Nalin Kohli, a prominent BJP spokesperson, expressed strong disapproval, stating, "This is an absolute insult to the entire state of Bihar and the self-respect of the people of Bihar. How can a political party make such a statement?" He further demanded an immediate apology from the Congress party, emphasizing that such a derogatory remark against an entire state was unacceptable and reflected a deeper problematic mindset.

The controversy quickly escalated, with the BJP asserting that the Congress party's move was not merely a critique of GST but a deliberate attempt to demean and stereotype an entire region.

"This shows the kind of thinking the Congress party has about the people of Bihar. They should apologize immediately," Kohli reiterated, underscoring the gravity of the perceived offense.

The incident has opened up a wider discussion on political discourse, the use of stereotypes in public communication, and the sensitivity required when discussing regional identities.

Critics argue that while political parties have every right to critique government policies like GST, such criticism should not come at the cost of denigrating or belittling any state or its populace. The 'Bihar Bidis' post, regardless of its original intent, has clearly crossed a line for many, transforming a debate about taxation into a heated exchange about regional pride and political respect.

As the calls for an apology mount, the Kerala Congress faces pressure to clarify its stance and address the backlash.

The episode serves as a stark reminder of the volatile nature of social media and the rapid escalation of political controversies in the digital age, where a single post can ignite a national debate and deeply offend a significant segment of the population.