BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai offered an apology on behalf of his party after a video of Sri Annapoorna hotel owner Srinivasan apologizing to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman went viral. Srinivasan allegedly apologised out of his will after his hilarious request to Nirmala Sitharaman on GST reforms.
Srinivasan’s Amusing Comments On GST
Srinivasan, the chairman of Sri Annapoorna Hotel, had hilariously highlighted the inconsistencies in GST rates and appealed for rationalization during the Finance Minister’s meeting with entrepreneurs from different sectors at Coimbatore.
“There is 5% GST on sweets but 12% on savouries, and 18% on cream-filled buns, whereas there is no GST on buns! Customers often complain, saying, ‘Just give me the bun, I’ll add the cream and jam myself,’” said Srinivasan, leading to laughter from the crowd.
The owner of the Sri Annapoorna Hotel emphasized the need for a uniform GST rate on food items, particularly in Tamil Nadu, where sweet and savoury items are consumed together. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responded by assuring that the government is working to simplify GST and address these concerns. She promised to raise the issue with the GST Council and noted that many outdated industrial laws have already been removed.
His comical interaction with jabs at BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan went viral on social media. However, the next day, the Tamil Nadu BJP social media convener posted a video in which the Annapoorna hotel owner was seen apologizing to Nirmala Sitharaman in the presence of Vanathi Srinivasan.
This apology video did not go down well with the party supporters, who felt the entrepreneur had the right to express his grievances and that there was nothing objectionable in what he said.
Annamalai Offers Apology For Srinivasan Video
As the apology video became a fodder for DMK and Dravidianists, BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai, 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.“
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…
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) September 13, 2024
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