VT Balaram steps down after Bihar–bidi post row; Kerala unit of Congress to revamp digital wing

Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode: The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee’s official X handle faced criticism after a controversial post comparing Bihar with bidis. The post appeared shortly after Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote adhikar yatra’ ended in Bihar, a poll-bound state. The BJP raised the issue nationally, forcing the Congress to delete the post and issue an apology.

KPCC president responds

KPCC president Sunny Joseph admitted that there was a lapse and said the party should have exercised more caution. “We see that our jibe at Modi’s election gimmick with GST rates is being twisted. Our apologies if you felt hurt,” read the follow-up post from the KPCC account.

Joseph confirmed that the social media wing would be reorganised and a new team formed. He said the issue was noticed immediately, corrected, and regret was expressed.

Balaram resigns from post

The digital media cell, earlier led by Dr P. Sarin before he moved to CPM, was later headed by two-time legislator V.T. Balaram. Following the controversy, Balaram resigned. He clarified that the post was made without his knowledge and that he had already conveyed his wish to step down to Sunny Joseph. “I was not even aware of such a post,” Balaram said from Palakkad, where he is based.

Internal clarifications and political reactions

KPCC working president A.P. Anil Kumar told IANS that the controversial remark was not an official party response and insisted that social media posts are supposed to be cleared before publishing.

The issue provoked strong criticism from NDA leaders in Bihar. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also expressed displeasure at the comparison, adding to the Congress’s embarrassment.