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Key Points

The Kerala Congress is overhauling its digital media cell following a controversial social media post that compared Bihar with bidis. KPCC president Sunny Joseph announced that a new team will be constituted to lead the party's social media efforts. The offensive post was quickly deleted and followed by an official apology from the party's account. This incident prompted the current digital wing convenor to express his desire to step down from the position.

Key Points: Kerala Congress Revamps Digital Cell After Bihar Bidi Post Row

  • KPCC president Sunny Joseph announces new digital media team formation
  • Controversial post compared Bihar with bidis before deletion
  • Former convenor V.T. Balaram sought relief from digital wing duties
  • Post drew sharp criticism from NDA leaders and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav
2 min read

Post 'Bihar and Bidi' row, digital media cell of Cong in Kerala to be revamped

KPCC forms new social media team after controversial "Bidis and Bihar" post sparks outrage, leading to leadership changes and apologies.

"We see that our jibe at Modi’s election gimmick with GST rates is being twisted. Our apologies if you felt hurt. - @INCKerala"

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 6

A day after a social media post from the official X handle of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) sparked outrage by comparing Bihar with bidis, the party has decided to revamp its digital media cell.

Announcing the move on Saturday, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said a new team would soon be constituted to head the social media wing.

The digital cell of the party was earlier headed by Dr P. Sarin, who quit the Congress last year to join the CPI(M) and unsuccessfully contested the Palakkad assembly bypoll.

After Sarin left, the post was held by two-time former Congress legislator V.T. Balaram.

The controversy surfaced from a deleted post by @INCKerala that read: “Bidis and Bihar start from B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore.”

Soon after the deletion, another post came with an apology. “We see that our jibe at Modi’s election gimmick with GST rates is being twisted. Our apologies if you felt hurt."

Following the outbreak of the ‘Bihar and Bidi’ controversy, Balaram, who is based in his hometown in Palakkad, expressed his desire to be relieved of the post as he was not able to spend enough time as the convenor of the digital wing of the KPCC.

Balaram said he was not even aware of such a post.

Now, Sunny Joseph, the KPCC president, has announced that a new team would be constituted to head the digital wing of the party.

Incidentally, soon after the controversy surfaced, KPCC working president and senior legislator A.P. Anil Kumar told IANS that it was not an official response of the party, and the general norm for those manning the social media account is that every post gets cleared officially.

The episode drew sharp criticism from several NDA leaders in Bihar, while RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, too, expressed his displeasure.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good that they're taking responsibility and restructuring. Social media teams need proper training - one wrong post can damage years of relationship building between states. Hope they appoint more professional people this time.
A
Aryan P
As a Bihari working in Kerala, I found this very offensive. Kerala and Bihar have great people-to-people connections. Political parties should focus on issues rather than making cheap jokes. 😠
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Sarah B
The apology seemed half-hearted though - "if you felt hurt" instead of taking full responsibility. Political social media needs maturity, not school-level humor. Hope the revamp brings better oversight.
V
Vikram M
This is why regional parties sometimes perform better - they understand local sentiments. National parties need to be more sensitive to all states, not just their strongholds.
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Nikhil C
The fact that the convenor wasn't even aware of the post shows serious management issues. Social media handles of political parties should have proper protocols. Good move to revamp the team completely.

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