LoP in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi with party President Mallikarjun Kharge
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Congress on Friday attacked the Narendra Modi government over a video showing a restaurant chain owner "apologising" to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after he voiced concerns about the GST, with its top leaders claiming that "fragile egos" only deliver humiliation and that she has been a "repeat offender".
The controversy erupted after videos of Srinivasan AVL, chairman of Annapoorna chain of restaurants, spoke about imposition of various rates of GST on food products creating trouble for businessmen at a BJP function attended by Nirmala and his subsequent apology to the minister went viral on social media.
As the video of the private conversation with Nirmala got leaked, the Congress demanded an apology from the finance minister over the issue. Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai said that on behalf of the party's state unit, he sincerely apologised for the actions of "our functionaries who shared a private conversation between a respected business owner and the finance minister".
"I spoke with Thiru Srinivasan Avl, the esteemed owner of the Annapoorna chain of Restaurants, to express regret for this unintended breach of privacy. Annapoorna Srinivasan Anna is a pillar of Tamil Nadu's business community, contributing significantly to the state's and nation's economic growth. I request everyone to lay the matter to rest with due respect," he said.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said when the owner of a small business, like Annapoorna restaurant in Coimbatore, asks public servants for a simplified GST regime, his request is met with "arrogance and outright disrespect".
"Yet, when a billionaire friend seeks to bend the rules, change the laws, or acquire national assets, Modi Ji rolls out the red carpet. Our small business owners have already endured the blows of demonetisation, an inaccessible banking system, tax extortion and a disastrous GST. The last thing they deserve is further humiliation," he said.
"But when the fragile egos of those in power are hurt, it seems humiliation is exactly what they’ll deliver. MSMEs have been asking for relief for years. If this arrogant government would listen to the people they would understand that a simplified GST with a single tax rate would solve the problems of lakhs of businesses," he said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the "disgraceful humiliation" of the owner of restaurant chain smacks of "arrogance of power" and the minister "has been a repeat offender in such public interactions".
"The owner asked a genuine question about the Modi government's flawed GST and was first met with a condescending laugh by the FM and later forced to apologise to her on camera. MSMEs and Small Business owners are suffering the brunt of Modi government's repeated financial assaults in the form of a flawed GST and demonetisation," he said.