Annapoorna, a popular hotel chain in Coimbatore, has issued a clarification following a viral video of its owner, D Srinivasan, apologizing to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The video, which was reportedly leaked by BJP functionaries in Tamil Nadu, attracted criticism from Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.
According to the hotel chain, Mr. Srinivasan met with the Finance Minister privately to resolve any potential misunderstandings or misrepresentations. “The video from this private meeting was accidentally shared on social media, leading to significant confusion,” the statement read.
Annapoorna emphasized that action has been taken against those responsible for the video leak and expressed a desire for the public to move past the incident. “We want to dispel any unnecessary assumptions and political misunderstandings. We hope everyone can move on from this episode,” the statement continued.
The controversy began when a video surfaced showing Mr Srinivasan apologizing to Ms Sitharaman for remarks made at a Coimbatore business forum. In the video, Mr. Srinivasan, who also serves as the Honorary President of the Tamil Nadu Hoteliers Association, appeared to apologize after discussing concerns related to the hotel industry. Critics suggested that he was pressured to apologize for expressing what many considered valid industry concerns about GST rates on food items.
The video drew sharp reactions from Congress leaders, while BJP Tamil Nadu Chief K. Annamalai later issued an apology on behalf of the party functionaries who shared the video, describing it as a breach of privacy.
Earlier, Mr Srinivasan had voiced concerns about the inconsistency in GST rates for different food categories, which he argued created operational difficulties for hotel owners. His comments, which included a call for uniform GST rates, were met with amusement by fellow businessmen and a positive response from Ms. Sitharaman, who promised to consider the issue.
