Annamalai apologizes after video of businessman’s apology to Nirmala Sitharaman sparks controversy
Chennai: BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai has issued an apology after a video showing the Managing Director of Tamil Nadu’s renowned Annapoorna hotel, Thiru K. Srinivasan, apologizing to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, went viral. The video, shared by local BJP functionaries, stirred controversy with opposition parties accusing the BJP of forcing the businessman to apologize and humiliating him publicly.
The video, which shows a private meeting between Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, and Thiru Srinivasan, features the hotelier expressing regret for his earlier remarks on the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Thiru Srinivasan, who is also the honorary president of the Tamil Nadu Hotels Association, had earlier criticized the GST structure during a public event, highlighting inconsistencies in the taxation of various items.
Annamalai apologized on behalf of the Tamil Nadu BJP, stating, "I sincerely apologize for the actions of our functionaries who shared a private conversation between a respected business owner and our Honorable Finance Minister. I personally spoke to Thiru Srinivasan to express regret for this breach of privacy." He also praised Srinivasan’s contributions to the state's economy and affirmed that the release of the video was unintended.
The video, originally shared by BJP Tamil Nadu convenor Balaji MS, showed Srinivasan apologizing for what was termed an "indecent" speech. The controversy erupted after the video was made public, following a closed-door meeting that took place after Nirmala Sitharaman’s interaction with industrialists and hoteliers in Coimbatore on September 11.
During the public event, Srinivasan had raised concerns over the GST system, using the example of differential tax rates on food items. He humorously pointed out how adding cream to a bun changes the GST from 0% to 18%, confusing both customers and systems. His light-hearted remarks received laughter from the audience but led to further discussions on the complexities of the tax system.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the BJP’s handling of the situation, accusing them of arrogance and disrespect towards small business owners. In a strong statement, Gandhi said, "When the owner of a small business, like Annapoorna restaurant in Coimbatore, requests a simplified GST regime, he is met with arrogance. Yet, when a billionaire friend seeks to bend the rules, the government rolls out the red carpet."
Gandhi went on to criticize the impact of policies like demonetization and GST on small businesses, saying they have already suffered enough and do not deserve further humiliation. He suggested that those in power were too sensitive to criticism and resorted to public shaming when their egos were hurt.
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.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) September 13, 2024
I spoke with Thiru Srinivasan Avl, the esteemed owner of the Annapoorna chain of Restaurants, to express…
There was a meeting organised in Coimbatore with businesses and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 13, 2024
▪️The owner of Sree Annapoorna, a famous vegetarian restaurant chain in Coimbatore, Mr. Srinivasan explained the problems of different GST rates for different items to FM
▪️He… pic.twitter.com/FXCZTWUjcU
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
