'Unnecessary assumptions...’: Annapoorna responds to viral video of MD’s meeting with FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Annapoorna, a well-known hotel chain in Tamil Nadu, issued a statement clarifying the controversy around a viral video involving its Managing Director, D. Srinivasan, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. 

The video, purportedly shared by some BJP handles, sparked speculation that Srinivasan had to apologize to Sitharaman following his remarks on GST complexities during a forum in Coimbatore. 

This led to widespread confusion.

During the public interaction on September 11, Srinivasan highlighted the issues businesses face with varied GST rates applied to different food items. “There are different GST rates for sweets and namkeens. No GST for plain bread, but if served with cream, GST is applicable,” he had remarked. 

His quip that "customers may as well ask for the bun and cream to be brought separately" drew attention to the absurdity of the situation. 

The next day, Srinivasan privately met with the Finance Minister to clarify any misunderstandings, but the video of this meeting was unintentionally shared online, causing further speculation.

Annapoorna clarified that the footage was shared by mistake, leading to unnecessary assumptions. The Tamil Nadu BJP apologized for the accidental release of the video and confirmed that action had been taken against the individual responsible.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also expressed concern over the situation, reassuring businesses that the state government is committed to addressing GST issues. 

Annapoorna's statement thanked the Finance Minister for the opportunity to discuss GST concerns and urged the public to move on: "We would like to put to rest the unnecessary assumptions and political misunderstanding. We hope everybody understands that we would like to end this episode and move on."

The hotel chain further expressed gratitude to its customers and supporters for standing by them during this incident, saying, "We would like to thank all our loyal customers and the general public who have been a great source of support and inspiration."