Hours after the GST meeting, a video of an exchange between an entrepreneur and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gained widespread attention. Following this, the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party shared another video, showing the entrepreneur allegedly apologising to her.
During the meeting, several entrepreneurs from various sectors raised concerns about GST rates, loan schemes, and other key issues impacting their businesses. Srinivasan, the owner of Sree Annapurna Hotel, representing the hoteliers then pointed to the confusion caused by inconsistent GST rates, which applied differently to items on the same bill, leading to customer dissatisfaction.
“There is 5% GST on sweets, 12% on savouries, and 18% on cream-filled buns, but no GST on regular buns! Customers often say, ‘Just give me the bun; I’ll add the cream and jam myself,’” Srinivasan explained.
He urged for a unified GST rate on food items, especially in Tamil Nadu, where sweet and savoury foods are frequently eaten together.
Taking a swipe at BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, he added, “So please make it uniform across the board. Also, this MLA, madam, is from our constituency. She mentioned that in North India, people eat too many sweets, which is why the GST is set at 5% for sweets and 12% for savouries. I said, no, in Tamil Nadu, we enjoy sweets, savouries, and coffee together. So, madam, please consider this and standardise it.”
Srinivasan criticised the complexity of the GST system, saying, “When we try to input different GST rates on a single bill, the computer crashes. Even the GST officers are confused, as all items have the same input but different tax rates. This inconsistency is creating problems for both shopkeepers and customers.”
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledged these concerns and assured the entrepreneurs that the government was committed to simplifying the GST system. She promised to bring the issue of varying tax rates on food items to the GST Council for further consideration.
Sitharaman stated that officials from GST, Customs, Income Tax, MSME, EOB, and Canara Bank had come from Delhi to address the entrepreneurs’ grievances. “We will take steps to address each petition submitted,” she assured, mentioning that 1,500 outdated industrial laws have already been repealed, and 40,000 complaints have been resolved nationwide.
However, the Tamil Nadu BJP’s social media cell convenor later posted a video showing the entrepreneur in conversation with FM Nirmala Sitharaman, in the presence of Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan.
The post read, “Coimbatore Annapoorna Srinivasan today met Union Finance Minister Mrs. @nsitharaman and Coimbatore South Assembly Member Mrs. @VanathiBJP and expressed his regret and apology for the speech he gave in the meeting was wrongly encouraged and his speech was indecent and wrong..!”
One of the ruling DMK’s X handle called it a “shocking display of arrogance!”
“A respected businessman from Coimbatore’s iconic #Annapoorna brand humbly questioned #GST complexities, but Hon’ble FM Nirmala Sitharaman, instead of addressing the issue, forced him to apologize. This is nothing but #fascism at play! When did asking for better policies become a #crime? The #BJP continues to silence voices of reason with intimidation,” the DMK IT Wing posted.
The Congress also criticised Nirmala Sitharaman for “ridiculing a local entrepreneur for voicing his concerns about the complexities of GST rates”.
“During a meeting, Mr. Srinivasan, owner of the renowned Sree Annapoorna restaurant chain, highlighted the absurdity of varying GST rates – 5% for sweets, 12% for namkeen, 0% for plain buns, and 18% for cream-filled buns. This illogical system burdens businesses and even tax officials with tedious calculations,” the party said on X.
“Instead of addressing these concerns, the FM mocked him on stage. But the humiliation didn’t end there. Mr. Srinivasan was later forced to apologise in person, and the BJP’s official handle shared the surreptitiously recorded video. This blatant intimidation is an affront to the pride of Tamil Nadu and its people.In a democratic society, public servants like FM are expected to listen to grievances and offer solutions, not belittle and silence those who speak up,” the Congress said.
Congress leader Supriya Srinate said that while FM laughed it off on stage but the same owner was later made to apologise to her in person. “His apology was surreptitiously recorded and shared by BJP’s official handle. This is the height of arrogance where a businessman can’t even voice his concern It’s a direct attack on the pride of Tamil Nadu, which won’t be tolerated. Little wonder the BJP has struggled to make a mark in the land of Periyar Madam FM, being in public life means listening to grievances and providing solutions not intimidating those who complain Shame!”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi accused “Madam Sitharaman of ruining India’s economy” and said on X, “The arrogance she exudes even for a simple feedback coming from a respected businessman on GST is pathetic. Arm twisting him to apologise for his opinion shows the government’s utter contempt for public opinion.”
