Political outrage erupts after Coimbatore hotelier’s apology video with Nirmala Sitharaman goes viral
Chennai: Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Friday issued an apology after party functionaries shared a private conversation between Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Srinivasan, owner of the Sri Annapoorna Restaurant chain in Coimbatore. The conversation, recorded at a private event, went viral on social media, sparking widespread criticism from the DMK, Congress, and netizens.
The video showed Srinivasan apologising to Sitharaman for his earlier remarks about the Goods and Services Tax (GST). A day prior, during an event in Coimbatore attended by the Finance Minister, Srinivasan had raised concerns about the inconsistencies in GST rates applied to different food items. “The problem is that GST is applied differently to each item. For instance, there is no GST on bun. But if you apply cream on it, the GST becomes 18 per cent,” Srinivasan had pointed out. He further explained that customers, in an effort to save money, were asking for bun and cream separately to avoid the higher tax.
Srinivasan’s remarks garnered attention, with many praising his humorous yet poignant critique of the GST system. Sitharaman had assured that the issue would be taken up for discussion by the GST Council.
However, the situation escalated when the BJP functionaries circulated a private video showing Srinivasan apologising to Sitharaman. In the video, the hotelier could be heard saying that he was not affiliated with any political party. The circulation of this video prompted backlash, with many accusing the BJP of pressuring Srinivasan into apologising for his candid remarks on the GST system. Reacting to the controversy, Annamalai took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to issue an apology. “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,” he said. Annamalai added that he personally spoke with Srinivasan to express regret for the breach of privacy. “Annapoorna Srinivasan Anna (elder brother) 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,” he concluded.
The apology did little to calm the political storm, with opposition leaders seizing the opportunity to criticise the BJP. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi strongly condemned the incident, accusing the BJP of disrespecting small business owners. In a post on X, Gandhi wrote: “The owner of a small business asked for a simplified GST regime, but his request was met with arrogance and outright disrespect. Small business owners have already endured the blows of demonetisation, tax extortion, and a disastrous GST. The last thing they deserve is further humiliation.”
DMK MP and deputy general secretary Kanimozhi also weighed in, warning the BJP-led government at the Centre not to underestimate the self-respect of Tamil Nadu’s people. Quoting a couplet from the ancient Tamil text Thirukkural, she emphasised the value of humility.
AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan echoed similar sentiments, condemning what he called the “humiliation” of a respected Coimbatore entrepreneur. “The peak of arrogance is a sign of destruction,” Sathyan remarked, adding that the BJP’s actions reflected its overreach and misuse of power.
