Purnea, Bihar – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Congress-RJD alliance, accusing them of insulting Bihar and its people with a controversial social media post that allegedly compared the state to a “beedi.”
Speaking at a public rally in Purnea, PM Modi’s criticism was directed at a now-deleted post by the Kerala unit of the Congress party.
The post, made in the context of a GST Council decision to reduce tax on beedis, reportedly stated, “Beedis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore.” This remark has sparked widespread outrage and become a major point of contention in the ongoing political discourse.
“You must have noticed that RJD’s ally, the Congress party, is comparing Bihar to a beedi on social media,” PM Modi stated, adding, “They harbor so much hatred for Bihar and, through corruption and scams, have caused great harm to the state. Whenever Bihar progresses, these people are hellbent on insulting Bihar.”
The Prime Minister framed the comment as part of a larger, long-standing pattern of the opposition’s “anti-Bihar mentality.” He asserted that while the state is making significant strides in development under the NDA government, the Congress and RJD cannot stomach its progress and resort to cheap tactics to defame it.
The controversial post, while quickly deleted and apologized for by Kerala Congress, has been seized upon by the BJP and its allies as a potent political weapon. The RJD has also distanced itself from the post, calling it “wrong.” However, the BJP continues to use the incident to argue that the opposition lacks respect for Bihar and its dignity.
In his address, PM Modi highlighted the NDA’s development initiatives in the state, including the inauguration of new projects worth approximately ₹36,000 crore. He also touched on issues of infiltration, accusing the Congress-RJD alliance of protecting illegal immigrants for “vote bank” politics.
This incident is the latest in a series of heated exchanges between the ruling and opposition parties in Bihar, underscoring the fierce political climate ahead of the upcoming elections. The BJP is leveraging the “beedi” remark to rally support and project itself as the true champion of Bihar’s honor and development.
