Annapoorna Clears Air on Viral Video Controversy with Finance Minister

Annapoorna's MD meets Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman privately after GST discussion goes viral. BJP apologizes for mistakenly sharing video, causing misunderstanding.


Coimbatore: Annapoorna, a renowned restaurant chain in Coimbatore, has issued a statement clarifying the recent controversy surrounding a viral video featuring their Managing Director, D. Srinivasan, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The incident unfolded during an interaction between representatives of MSMEs and the Chamber of Commerce with the Finance Minister on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. Srinivasan, who is also the Honorary President of the Tamil Nadu Hotel Association and Vice-President of the South Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association, raised concerns about varying GST rates for different products in restaurants and bakeries.

Following the viral spread of the interaction video, Srinivasan took the initiative to meet the Finance Minister privately the next day to ensure there was no misunderstanding or misrepresentation of facts. However, a video of this private interaction was inadvertently shared on social media, leading to confusion and misinterpretation.

The BJP Tamil Nadu handle on X (formerly Twitter) has since apologized for mistakenly sharing the video, and action has been taken against the person responsible for creating it. Annapoorna expressed gratitude towards Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MLA Vanathi Srinivasan for organizing the GST meeting, allowing trade bodies and organizations to present their views.

In their statement, Annapoorna emphasized their desire to put an end to unnecessary assumptions and political misunderstandings arising from this incident. They appealed for understanding and expressed their wish to move past this episode.

The restaurant chain concluded by thanking their loyal customers and the general public for their continued support and inspiration throughout this challenging situation.

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