BJP’s National President for the Mahila Morcha and MLA for Coimbatore South, Vanathi Srinivasan, has denied the DMK’s false narrative that she coerced the owner of Sri Annapoorna restaurant, Srinivasan into apologizing to the Finance Minister. Srinivasan clarified that, during a phone call on 12 September 2024, it was the restaurant owner who expressed his regret over his remarks and wished to apologize to the Finance Minister. Subsequently, Srinivasan facilitated a meeting between them.
In this regard, on 13 September 2024, Vanathi Srinivasan addressed the issue at a press conference. She clarified that she did not pressure the hotelier into apologizing. Srinivasan explained that during a phone call on Thursday, the restaurant owner expressed regret for his remarks and wished to apologize to the Finance Minister. She then arranged a meeting between them at his request.
Vanathi Srinivasan explained that the conference was carefully planned to benefit the people of Coimbatore by allowing them to interact directly with the Union Finance Minister and address any issues they were facing. Three dedicated desks were set up to tackle GST-related concerns, and private individuals, farmers, coir manufacturers, and other stakeholders were invited to participate, all to promote business growth.
Addressing the controversy surrounding comments by the owner of Sri Annapoorna restaurant about her, Vanathi Srinivasan mentioned that she could have countered his remarks, including private and inaccurate statements about food habits. However, she chose to remain silent out of a commitment to maintaining decency in public discourse.
Vanathi Srinivasan said, “I didn’t react immediately there. I could have asked, ‘How often have I visited your shop? Have I ever come and fought with you? How many times have I come and eaten Jilebi?’ You claimed I had eaten jalebi, but I’ve never had it before. I could have asked all this at that stage, but I didn’t want to because it was a public forum. We came from there and chose to uphold respect and moral grounds. “
Vanathi Srinivasan explained that the following morning, the restaurant owner Srinivasan continued to call her, expressing regret and requesting a personal meeting with the Union Finance Minister to apologize. Despite the Minister’s busy schedule, the owner was eventually able to meet with her. During the meeting, he acknowledged his mistakes and noted that social media misrepresented his comments.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman then addressed the issue, explaining how the owner’s remarks, which targeted the private food habits of his customer and a women MLA, could negatively impact the hotel’s reputation and his own. Following this, the Sri Annapoorna hotel owner also apologised to Vanathi Srinivasan.
Party functionaries at the scene recorded the events and felt insulted when Srinivasan, chairman of Sri Annapoorna Hotel, publicly disparaged their party’s MLA. They were distraught when he released the video on social media.
Vanathi Srinivasan also questioned, “If there was a male minister and male MLA on the same stage, do you think this kind of speech would have been made?”
Vanathi Srinivasan expressed sadness that only female politicians seem to face such questioning, with the assumption that being women makes it acceptable in society. She lamented that this issue persists despite their positions and contributions. She further criticized the DMK for promoting narratives driven by caste and other divisive factors.
This clarification comes after Srinivasan, the chairman of Sri Annapoorna Hotel, humorously highlighted inconsistencies in GST rates during a meeting with the Finance Minister and various entrepreneurs in Coimbatore. She noted the oddities in GST rates of 5% on sweets, 12% on savory items, and 18% on cream-filled buns, while buns themselves are tax-free, leading to laughter from the audience.
Srinivasan argued for a uniform GST rate on food items, particularly in Tamil Nadu, where sweet and savory foods are often consumed together. In response, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman assured that the government is working on simplifying GST and addressing such concerns, promising to discuss the issue with the GST Council.
#JUSTIN இனிப்புக்கும், காரத்திற்கும் வெவ்வேறு ஜிஎஸ்டி விகிதம் இருப்பதால் கணினியே திணறி வருகிறது”
– மத்திய நிதி அமைச்சர் நிர்மலா சீதாராமனிடம் அன்னபூர்னா குழும தலைவர் சீனிவாசன் கோரிக்கை#GST | #Coimbatore | #NirmalaSitharaman #News18tamilnadu | https://t.co/7dpn9FCtgj pic.twitter.com/4ZzAeCC4GD— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) September 11, 2024
The Sri Annapoorna restaurant owner’s comedic remarks about BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan went viral on social media. While many found his anecdotes amusing, the Tamil Nadu BJP’s reaction was less favourable. The party’s Social Media Cell State Convenor posted a video on the evening of 12 September 2024, showing the entrepreneur apologizing to the Finance Minister in the presence of Srinivasan.
The post claimed the entrepreneur regretted his comments, describing his speech as “indecent and wrong.” This move was poorly received by the party’s supporters in Tamil Nadu, who criticized the optics of the situation and perceived it as if the entrepreneur was coerced into apologizing.
#JUSTIN இனிப்புக்கும், காரத்திற்கும் வெவ்வேறு ஜிஎஸ்டி விகிதம் இருப்பதால் கணினியே திணறி வருகிறது”
– மத்திய நிதி அமைச்சர் நிர்மலா சீதாராமனிடம் அன்னபூர்னா குழும தலைவர் சீனிவாசன் கோரிக்கை#GST | #Coimbatore | #NirmalaSitharaman #News18tamilnadu | https://t.co/7dpn9FCtgj pic.twitter.com/4ZzAeCC4GD
— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) September 11, 2024
On 13 September 2024, Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai issued an apology on behalf of his party following the viral video of Sri Annapoorna hotel owner Srinivasan apologizing to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
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