‘Bihar-Bidi’ row: KPCC chief dismisses reports on resignation of party’s digital media cell head

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Monday dismissed media reports that former MLA V T Balram has been removed as the chairman of the KPCC’s digital media cell in view of the recent “bidis and Bihar” post on its social media handle.

Sunny Joseph, in a press release on Monday, clarified that Balram has not resigned from the post of Chairman of the party’s Digital Media Cell, nor has the party taken any action against him in the wake of the controversial ‘Bihar-Bidi’ X post. “Balram, who is also serving as KPCC vice-president, is still holding the charge of the Digital Media Cell chairman. He has neither resigned nor faced any party action. The Digital Media Cell’s posts are prepared by professionals who support the party. Reorganising the social media wing is already on the party’s agenda,” he said.

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He alleged that some people are attempting to tarnish Balram’s image over the post.

The KPCC chief came in defence of V T Balram a day after he (Balaram) drew oblique criticism from CPI-M state committee member and excise minister MB. Rajesh for allegedly boosting BJP’s “declining fortunes” by irresponsibly drawing a humiliating equivalence between “Bihar and Bidi” post.

CPI-M leader and state Excise Minister M B Rajesh on Sunday criticized the Congress’ digital cell Kerala head Balaram for allegedly boosting BJP’s “declining fortunes” by irresponsibly drawing a humiliating equivalence between “Bihar-Bidi” post.

In a social media post, Rajesh accused the Congress’ digital cell in Kerala of throwing a lifeline to the “politically weakened” BJP ahead of the Assembly election in Bihar.

Meanwhile, Balram clarified that he has not stepped down from his role as digital media head of Congress in Kerala. In a Facebook post, he wrote, ‘I, VT Balram, have neither resigned from nor been removed from the position of Chairman of the Digital Media Cell. When it came to my attention that there was a mistake from the team handling the X platform, I intervened organisationally to correct the inappropriate post. The party leadership is well aware of this.”

Earlier on Saturday, there were reports that VT Balaram would relinquish charge of Congress Kerala digital media wing following Bihar-bidi controversy

KPCC president Sunny Joseph on Saturday said that the INC@Kerala handle had not exercised due caution or political prudence while attempting to comment satirically on the Central government’s decision to take bidis off the list of “sin goods”, which attract the highest slab of taxes, ahead of the Assembly elections in the largely rural State of Bihar.

In the now-deleted post on X, the Congress Kerala unit said that “Bidis and Bihar start with B” and “cannot be considered a sin anymore”, referring to the GST cut on the tobacco product. The ‘X’ post from the Kerala Congress targeted the recent GST reforms brought by the Union government, where the tax rates on Cigar, Cigarettes and Tobacco were increased to 40 per cent. In contrast, the rates on Bidis were brought down from 28 to 18 per cent.

Meanwhile, the KPCC has instructed its social media wing not to respond on its own on national issues. It has also been instructed not to divert attention from the campaign against police atrocities.