MK Stalin criticises Nirmala Sitharaman for ‘shameful’ behaviour with businessman who asked questions on GST

A Coimbatore-based businessman had raised with the Union finance minister, concerns regarding the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Published on: Sep 14, 2024, 13:52:45 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin and his DMK party on Saturday criticised Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her ‘shameful’ behaviour with a businessman, who had raised with the BJP leader, concerns regarding the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman (File Photo)

“The way the Union minister handled it (the issue), is a matter of shame because he (the businessman) made fair demands on the GST,” Stalin remarked.

Later, a video of D Srinivasan, owner of the Sri Annapoorna restaurant in the southern state's Coimbatore, apologising with folded hands to Sitharaman, went viral on social media.

Also Read | GST council meeting: What has become cheaper for you now

DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan claimed Srinivasan was ‘coerced’ into apologising to the finance minister.

“As far as the Annapurna issue is concerned, the owner only said what the people thought. It is the people's voice because he is not paying any tax…he is collecting tax from the people and paying. So whatever the people feel, the government should listen. They threatened him and he was pressurised to seek a pardon,” Elangovan stated.

The BJP's Tamil Nadu unit, which posted and later deleted the clip, said ‘sorry’ for sharing the video as it was from a private meeting.

Sitharaman's interaction with Srinivasan occurred at an event in Coimbatore on Wednesday.

“Madam, a bun doesn't attract GST. But, when cream is applied to make it a cream bun, it attracts 12% GST. Customers now say, ‘You bring the bun and cream separately, and I’ll (the customer) will make cream bun',” he told the minister, evoking laughter.

“Even the hotel's computer system struggles to calculate the various tax rates when families order a variety of items. The GST structure for food must be simplified and there should be a uniform rate for all items,” he added.

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