Tamil Nadu Businessman Forced To Give An Apology To FM Nirmala Sitharaman? Outrage Over Video

A video showing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's meeting with the Managing Director of Tamil Nadu's renowned Annapoorna Hotel has sparked controversy, with the opposition accusing her of forcing him to apologize for his remarks on the GST system.

The video, shared by local BJP leaders on social media platform X, shows Annapoorna Srinivasan, the honorary president of the Tamil Nadu Hotels Association, seemingly apologizing to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Coimbatore South BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan is also seen in the video.

The opposition has criticized the BJP, alleging that the businessman was pressured into offering an apology. The meeting apparently took place a day after Srinivasan made certain comments about the GST system during a public event attended by the Finance Minister.

At an MSME meeting in Coimbatore on September 11, Srinivasan told Sitharaman: "The MLA sitting beside you is our regular customer. She often argues about our GST bills. There are different GST rates for everything-5 percent for sweets and 12 percent for spices. A different rate for a bun, and another for the cream inside it. Even the officials are confused by the various GST rates, just like the customers."

He continued, "There is a perception that the Finance Minister set a 5% GST on sweets and 12% on namkeen because people in the North consume more sweets. In Tamil Nadu, sweets, namkeen, and coffee are all enjoyed together. Please consider a uniform GST rate for these. Even the computer systems are struggling with this GST confusion," he added, smiling.

Coimbatore South BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan confirmed to The News Minute that the hotelier met the Finance Minister to offer an apology.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai, who is currently on a break from politics to pursue a course abroad, apologized for the incident.

In a post on X, he wrote, "On behalf of @BJP4TamilNadu, I sincerely apologize for the actions of our functionaries who shared a private conversation between a respected business owner and our Hon. FM. I spoke with Thiru Srinivasan Avl, the esteemed owner of the Annapoorna chain of Restaurants, to express regret for this unintended breach of privacy. Annapoorna Srinivasan Anna is a pillar of Tamil Nadu's business community, contributing significantly to the state's and nation's economic growth. I request everyone to lay the matter to rest with due respect."

In response, DMK MP Kanimozhi quoted a verse from the Thirukkural, cautioning the Centre not to undermine the self-esteem of Tamil Nadu.