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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM<\/strong> \u2013 A social media post by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has triggered a major political storm, leading to the resignation of V.T. Balram, the head of the party’s social media wing. The controversy erupted over a post that was widely condemned for being derogatory towards the people of Bihar and caused friction with the party’s ally, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a key partner in the INDIA alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, sources within the party have confirmed that the incident has led to a major review of the party’s social media strategy, and the KPCC is planning to revamp its digital media cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THIRUVANANTHAPURAM \u2013 A social media post by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has triggered a major political storm, leading to the resignation of V.T. Balram, the head of the party’s social media wing. The controversy erupted over a post that was widely condemned for being derogatory towards the people of Bihar and caused friction…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kerala"],"yoast_head":"\n
The now-deleted post, which appeared on the official ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) handle of the Kerala Congress, was a satirical take on the central government’s recent GST reforms. It stated, “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore,” in a jibe at the government’s decision to reduce the tax rate on bidis while increasing it on other tobacco products. The post quickly went viral, drawing sharp criticism from political leaders across the country, particularly from Bihar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tejashwi Yadav Condemns the Post
The controversy escalated when RJD leader and a prominent figure in the INDIA bloc, Tejashwi Yadav, openly condemned the post. He called the post “unfortunate” and a “wrong tweet,” distancing his party from the sentiment expressed by the Kerala Congress. Yadav, who has been a strong proponent of INDIA bloc unity, expressed his displeasure, highlighting the need for allies to be more cautious and respectful in their public statements. This reaction from a key ally put immense pressure on the Congress leadership, which was already facing a barrage of attacks from the BJP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
V.T. Balram’s Resignation
Following the massive backlash and the public censure from its ally, V.T. Balram announced his decision to step down from his role as the head of the KPCC’s social media wing. While some reports suggest that his resignation was a direct consequence of the controversy, Balram clarified that his decision to relinquish the position was pre-planned and not a direct result of the “Bidis and Bihar” post. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Political Fallout
The incident has provided ammunition to the ruling BJP and its allies, who have accused the Congress of disrespecting the people of Bihar. Leaders from the JD(U) and BJP have used the opportunity to criticize the INDIA bloc and question the unity of its members. The controversy has not only exposed a potential fault line within the opposition alliance but has also forced the Congress to issue an apology and acknowledge its mistake. The KPCC president, Sunny Joseph, admitted that there was a “lack of caution” in posting such content and that the party does not endorse it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"