Annapoorna hotel chairman apologising to FM Nirmala Sitharaman sparks controversy

A video of the Sri Annapoorna hotel chairman Srinivasan apologising to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has sparked controversy. Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have reacted to the video.

BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai who is currently in the UK for his fellowship, posted on his social media expressing regret over the episode.

He said “On behalf of @BJP4TamilNadu, I sincerely apologise 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.“

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticised the BJP government after the video went viral.

He said, “When the owner of a small business, like Annapoorna restaurant in Coimbatore, asks our public servants for a simplified GST regime, his request is met with arrogance and outright disrespect. Yet, when a billionaire friend seeks to bend the rules, change the laws, or acquire national assets, Modi rolls out the red carpet.”

Gandhi further added, “Our small business owners have already endured the blows of demonetisation, an inaccessible banking system, tax extortion and a disastrous GST. The last thing they deserve is further humiliation.”

In the video, Srinivasan can be seen bending down and saying,”I am not part of any political party, please forgive me,” which led to widespread discussions on freedom of speech.

The video was originally shared by Balaji MS, Social Media Cell State Convenor of the Tamil Nadu BJP.

In a previous video that was widely shared by opposition politicians in Tamil Nadu, Srinivasan was seen criticising the GST system, citing the complexity of different tax rates for various food items.

“The MLA sitting on your side is our regular customer. She used to fight over our GST bill. Different GST rates for everything. 5 per cent GST for sweet and 12 percent tax on spice. Different GST for the bun and different GST for the cream inside. Even the officials are confused by different GST, like the customer,” Srivinavasan odl Sitharaman at a recent event during an MSMEs meeting held in Coimbatore in September 11.