The Congress party on Friday issued an apology after its Kerala unit posted a controversial tweet that caused a political uproar. The tweet tried to mock the BJP over recent GST changes but ended up o
The Congress party on Friday issued an apology after its Kerala unit posted a controversial tweet that caused a political uproar. The tweet tried to mock the BJP over recent GST changes but ended up offending people in Bihar by drawing an unfair comparison between the state and bidis. A few hours later, Congress deleted the post and put out a clarification on X, saying their comment was being misinterpreted. “Our jibe at Modi’s election gimmick with GST rates is being twisted. We apologise if it hurt anyone,” the party said.
The deleted tweet had said, “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered sin anymore,” along with a chart of revised GST rates. The chart showed that while the tax on cigars, cigarettes, and tobacco had gone up from 28 per cent to 40 per cent, the tax on bidis was reduced from 28 per cent to 18 per cent. This effectively removed bidis from the ‘sin goods’ category, which attracts the highest GST rates.
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। pic.twitter.com/VvliP16tTJ
— Samrat Choudhary (@samrat4bjp) September 5, 2025
The post quickly drew strong criticism from the BJP and its ally JD(U), who accused Congress of insulting the people of Bihar just months before the state goes to elections.
Congress faces criticism over ‘Bihar-Bidis’ remark
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary strongly condemned the Congress, calling the controversial post an “insult to the entire state.” “First, they insulted the respected mother of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, and now they have insulted all of Bihar. This is the true face of Congress, and the country is seeing it again and again,” Choudhary wrote.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also hit out at the party, saying Congress had “crossed all limits.” He questioned if RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, an ally of Congress, supported such remarks.
“Congress crosses the line again. After insulting PM Modi ji’s mother, they are now comparing Bihar with a bidi! Does Tejashwi Yadav endorse this?” Poonawalla asked.
He further alleged that leaders from Congress, DMK, and even Telangana CM Revanth Reddy had shown “hatred for Bihar.”
JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha too slammed the post, calling it “extremely shameful.” He added, “B doesn’t just stand for bidi, it also stands for Buddhi (wisdom), which Congress clearly lacks. B also stands for budget, which bothers you whenever Bihar receives special funds.”
