‘When fragile egos of … ‘: Rahul targets PM Modi over Annapoorna eatery owner’s ‘apology’ | India News

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government on Friday over a video that showed a restaurant chain owner allegedly “apologising” to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for expressing concerns about GST.
Gandhi said, “when the fragile egos of those in power are hurt, it seems humiliation is exactly what they’ll deliver.”
In one of the videos now viral on social media from an event on September 11, Srinivasan, the owner of the Annapoorna chain of restaurants was seen purportedly raising issues about varying GST rates.The second video depicted Srinivasan allegedly apologising in person to the finance minister.
Gandhi asserted that if the “arrogant government” would listen to the people, they would realise that a simplified GST could address the challenges faced by countless businesses.
He took to social media platform X to express his dissatisfaction with the government’s response.
“When the owner of a small business, like Annapoorna restaurant in Coimbatore, asks our public servants for a simplified GST regime, his request is met with arrogance and outright disrespect,” Gandhi wrote in a post.
“Yet, when a billionaire friend seeks to bend the rules, change the laws, or acquire national assets, Modi Ji rolls out the red carpet,” he added.
Gandhi further highlighted the challenges faced by small business owners, including demonetisation, an inaccessible banking system, tax extortion, and a problematic GST. He argued that these entrepreneurs deserve better treatment and should not be subjected to humiliation when expressing their concerns.
The Congress leader also pointed out that MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) have been seeking relief for years. He suggested that if the government listened to the people, they would understand that a simplified GST with a single tax rate could solve the problems faced by countless businesses.
“But when the fragile egos of those in power are hurt, it seems humiliation is exactly what they’ll deliver,” he wrote in a post.
“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,” his post added.