Tamil Nadu GST hotelier’s video: BJP expels officer for posting clip of man’s apology to FM

COIMBATORE: The BJP on Saturday expelled a party functionary for circulating a video D. SrinivasanManaging Director, Hotels in Annapoornaapologising to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her social media comments on different GST rates for different dishes served in hotels, which triggered a political storm.
In a press statement, BJP district president J. Ramesh Kumar said that Singanallur district president R. Sathish has been removed from his post and basic powers for his activities which were detrimental to the welfare of the party. He added that the decision in this regard was taken with the consent of senior party functionaries.
Meanwhile, CM MK Stalin condemned the FM for the entire episode. “The way the Union Finance Minister has handled the matter is shameful. People are watching it. He (the hotelier) has only expressed the genuine demands of the traders regarding the GST,” he said.
BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan was quick to issue a press statement condemning Stalin for his comment on the GST dispute. “The FM came to Coimbatore to save the industrial sectors in the Kongu region. The DMK government did not help her support the industrial sectors. The PM’s comments on the FM are condemnable. Stalin should be shamed for not helping the industrial sectors struggling to survive in Coimbatore.”
The Congress had staged a protest in the city, condemning Nirmala Sitharaman for allegedly forcing a hotelier to apologise for asking her about GST. During the protest, state Congress president Selvaperunthagai and Coimbatore north district Congress committee chief VMC Manoharan carried garlands of cream buns as a symbolic gesture. After the protest, the cream buns were distributed to party cadres.
Addressing the media, Selvaperunthagai said that it was the finance minister and MLA Vanathi Srinivasan who should have apologised to the hotelier and not state BJP president Annamalai. “If they do not apologise to the hotelier, we will organise a nationwide protest,” the Congress functionary warned.