Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, calling her handling of a recent incident “shameful.” The controversy arose after the owner of Sri Annapoorna restaurant in Coimbatore, during an event attended by Sitharaman, humorously commented on the varying GST rates for food items. Referring to the GST levied on cream buns, he suggested simplifying the tax structure. His remarks were well-received by the audience but later sparked controversy when a video circulated showing the hotelier apologising to Sitharaman.
Stalin condemned the minister’s response, stating the restaurant owner’s request for GST simplification was reasonable. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan also weighed in, accusing the government of ignoring public sentiment and pressuring the hotelier to apologise. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi used the incident to criticise the government, advocating for a simplified GST system with a single tax rate, while Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called the episode an example of BJP’s “arrogance of power.”
BJP Tamil Nadu leader K Annamalai apologised for making the private exchange between the hotelier and Sitharaman public, expressing regret for the breach of privacy and asking for the matter to be laid to rest.