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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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
