Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin called “shameful” the Bharatiya Janata Party’s and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s handling of Annapoorna Srinivasan GST row. Stalin reminded the union minister “people are watching”.
Addressing presspersons at Chennai Airport on returning from the US, Stalin said, “Srinivasan had raised a just issue on the disparity in GST. The way in which the Finance Minister handled it is shameful. People are watching.”
Well known Restaurant Annapurna Owner Srinivasan made to apologize after asking questions on GST in an interaction session with Nirmala Sitaraman.
— Hyderabad Intellectuals Forum 🇮🇳 (@HydForum) September 13, 2024
Modi & Gang has become arrogant & unquestionable. They should be chased away from our South India. pic.twitter.com/qICb1RAE9E
What started a humorous interaction between Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and renowned hotelier Srinivasan, owner of Annapoorna chain of hotels in Coimbatore, blew up into a huge row after a video emerged showing the latter apologising to Sitharaman for the conversation.
#Annapoorna Group Chairman Srinivasan was Allegedly forced to Apologise to FM Nirmala Sitharaman During a public meeting in Coimbatore, he questioned her about GST complexities.
— Goudrusarkar - ಗೌಡ್ರುಸರ್ಕಾರ್ (@Gs_0107) September 13, 2024
If the Modi govt is questioned on taxes, will Mahaprabhu be embarrassed?pic.twitter.com/dPnXj7IlNW
During a recent interaction with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Srinivasan, also the honorary president of Tamil Nadu Hotels Association, raised humorously the issues faced by hoteliers due to varying GST for food items. The video went viral on social media and it reportedly irked the union minister.
Srinivasan jokingly said while bun is exempted from GST, 18% GST is imposed on cream. “Customers tell us you give us bun and cream separately, we will handle it,” he said. Srinivasan said due to varying GST on savouries and sweets, even the computer is finding it difficult to compute.
Srinivasan’s humourous take didn’t go down well with the union minister. Srinivasan met with Nirmala Sitharaman in private later, in the presence of BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan and apologised. He also told the minister that he was not a member of any political party. A video of this private conversation was allegedly shot by a few BJP functionaries present there and was released on social media.
Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai had to issue an apology following the incident and said he spoke with Srinivasan and expressed regret.
