Congress comparing people of Bihar with 'bidis' insult to all 'Biharis', NDA to make it poll issue: BJP

The BJP on Friday slammed the Congress for "comparing" people of Bihar with 'bidis', calling it an "insult to all Biharis", and asked the Opposition to be ready to face its political consequences.

The party said the NDA will make it a "very big issue" in the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

This came after the Congress' Kerala unit in a now-deleted post on X said, "Bidis and Bihar starts with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore."

Reacting sharply, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the Kerala Congress' post as "shameful" and said people of Bihar will give a reply to "this insult of Biharis" in the upcoming assembly polls.

"It (Congress) insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother (recently) and did not apologise for it so far. And, now (it) insulted Bihar's dignity and Biharis," the former Union minister charged.

"Rahul Gandhi, what are you doing?" he asked, adding, "You do not care about the history of Bihar. Will you compare Bihar with bidi?"

Prasad also took on RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, saying he did not have "courage" to condemn such an insult of Biharis by the Congress' Kerala unit.

"The Congress and Tejashwi Yadav, we want to warn you that we will make it a very big issue in the Bihar elections and expose you," the Lok Sabha MP from Bihar's Patna Sahib constituency said.

"People of the country and Bihar are watching. We will give a befitting reply to this... People of Bihar will give you a reply," he added.

Lashing out at the Congress, Union minister Piyush Goyal said the opposition party has again demonstrated its negative and petty mindset by insulting people of Bihar. Voters have repeatedly rejected the Congress which is in frustration and disintegrating, with the Gandhi family no longer popular, he said.

The party sometimes attacks courts or the Election Commission, he said, alleging that Prime Narendra Modi has been repeatedly abused by its leaders.

People of Bihar will give a befitting reply to the Congress and RJD, he said.

As the Kerala Congress' post on X kicked up a political row, Yadav told reporters that an apology should be extended if any objectionable comment has been made with regard to Bihar.

Deleting the controversial post, meanwhile, Kerala Congress said on X, "We see that our jibe at Modi's election gimmick with GST rates is being twisted. Our apologies if you felt hurt."

Prasad condemned the Congress and the RJD leadership for maintaining a "shameful silence" on the issue.

"The Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi must understand that the drama they did over SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls in Bihar stands exposed. The truth is out in the open that you can stoop to any level for some votes and even abuse anyone. Now you are comparing all Biharis with bidi and insulting them," the BJP leader said.