Congress compares Bihar and bidis after GST reforms; sparks row
What's the story
The Indian National Congress's Kerala has drawn flak for a now-deleted post on X, in which it compared Bihar with bidis over the BJP-led Centre's recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) changes. The GST Council had proposed a tax hike on tobacco, cigars and cigarettes from 28% to 40%, while reducing the bidi tax from 28% to 18%. In the post, the Congress, reacting to the change, wrote, "Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered sin anymore."
Political backlash
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister slams Congress
Reacting to the post, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhari called it an "insult to the entire state." "First, the insult to the revered mother of our honorable 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. Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha also condemned the post as "an extremely shameful act."
Twitter Post
The tweet has since been deleted
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
Accusations made
BJP accuses Congress of anti-Bihar mentality
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress of having an "anti-Bihar mentality." He said if "B for Bidis and B for Bihar," then "C for Congress and C for corruption." The tweet has given the BJP and its allies more fodder in their campaign ahead of upcoming assembly elections, framing it as a matter of regional pride.
Tax changes
GST Council proposed a 2-rate structure for bidi wrappers
The GST Council had also reduced the tax on bidi wrapper leaves from 18% to 5%. Overall, it proposed a two-rate structure of 5% and 18% from the current four slabs - 5, 12, 18 and 28%. It had also announced a new 40% GST slab for sin (products considered harmful to health or society) and luxury goods.