Shameful, CM Stalin tells FM Nirmala on Coimbatore hotelier's 'humiliation'

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday called out Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for the alleged humiliation meted out to a renowned Coimbatore based hotelier for raising GST issue and said that the union minister’s handling of the issue was ‘shameful’ and the people were witness to it.

Responding to a media query upon his arrival from the US at the city airport, Stalin said, “He (hotelier) placed rightful demands (on GST). The union minister’s handling of the issue was shameful. The people are watching.”

The issue triggered a political storm in the country with Leader of Opposition in the Parliament Rahul Gandhi among the Congress leaders calling it a display of arrogance and outright disrespect.

DMK Parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi joined the chorus on Friday when she said that the union government and its ministers must not hurt the self-esteem of Tamils.

The row was triggered by a video of a meeting with the union minister wherein the owner of the renowned Annapoorna chain of restaurants Mr Srinivasan raised the issue of GST increasing by 12% when cream is applied to a bun.

The following day, the state BJP IT wing circulated a video of Srinivasan apologising to the union minister.