E-Paper
Annapoorna’s ‘cream bun’ reel viral after owner’s apology to Sitharaman over GST
A video of a restaurant chain owner purportedly "apologising" to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for voicing concerns about GST triggered outrage.
Annapoorna, a well-known chain of hotels in Tamil Nadu, has drawn attention with a social media post promoting its cream bun amid the controversy involving its Managing Director, Srinivasan.
The video, shared on Annapoorna’s Instagram on Friday with the tagline “Annapoorna that’s trending across India,” has garnered over a million views and 20,000 likes.
The lighthearted reel shows a cream-filled bun being squeezed, drawing customers' attention to a product that has become an unexpected symbol in a debate over GST policies.
The video arrives on the heels of an apology by Srinivasan to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, following a comment he made regarding the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system during a recent event.
Also Read | NPS won't be rolled back, UPS is to improve it, no compulsion for states to adopt it: FM Nirmala Sitharaman
What's the Annapoorna controversy?
Representing the Tamil Nadu Hotels Association, Srinivasan humorously criticised the inconsistent application of GST to different food items, using the cream bun as an example.
He explained that while no GST applies to a plain bun, adding cream incurs an 18% tax.
“Customers now request the bun and cream separately to avoid paying the higher tax,” he said.
His remarks were met with laughter from the audience but did not reportedly sit well with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
In a closed-door meeting the following day, Srinivasan met with Sitharaman, alongside BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan. A video of Srinivasan apologising to the minister later surfaced, shared by Tamil Nadu BJP functionary Balaji MS, sparking backlash on social media.
The video quickly went viral, with opposition leaders condemning what they viewed as the intimidation of a small business owner for merely voicing his concerns about the tax system.
Also Read | MK Stalin criticises Nirmala Sitharaman for ‘shameful’ behaviour with businessman who asked questions on GST
Amid the uproar, Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai issued a public apology for the leak of the video, calling it an “unintended breach of privacy” and urging respect for Srinivasan.
“Annapoorna Srinivasan Anna is a pillar of Tamil Nadu’s business community, contributing significantly to the state’s and nation’s economic growth,” Annamalai wrote on X. “I request everyone to lay the matter to rest with due respect.”
Many social media users suggested that the 'cream bun' video was Annapoorna’s subtle response to the controversy.
"Well played Annapoorna…The businesses should learn from this episode that no amount of servility to BJP will make them do good to you. Grow a spine, stand up and hit back," a user wrote.
