Congress State President Selvaperunthagai demands unconditional apology from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to Coimbatore people over Annapoorna owner's apology video, threatening nationwide protests if ignored.
Coimbatore: The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President, Selvaperunthagai, has demanded that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should offer an unconditional apology to the people of Coimbatore regarding the Annapoorna issue. He warned that if the apology is not forthcoming, the Congress party will launch a nationwide protest.
The controversy erupted after BJP members released a video of Annapoorna hotel owner Srinivasan apologizing to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Vanathi Srinivasan. This video sparked widespread outrage across the country, with political leaders expressing strong condemnation.
In response to this incident, Congress party members staged a protest near Gandhi Park in R.S. Puram, Coimbatore, under the leadership of State President Selvaperunthagai. Over 200 party members participated in the demonstration, wearing garlands made of buns and distributing cream buns to the protesters. The gathering raised slogans against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the BJP.
Speaking to reporters after the protest, Selvaperunthagai stated, "Prime Minister Modi should intervene and instruct his Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to apologize to the people of Coimbatore. It was wrong to make Annapoorna Srinivasan apologize in the first place, and even if he had apologized magnanimously, releasing the video was a grave mistake. He didn't commit any serious offense; he was merely voicing concerns for workers and hotel owners."
The Congress leader termed the incident as "the peak of fascism" and demanded an immediate, unconditional apology. He observed that in the video, Srinivasan appeared uncomfortable and unable to sit properly. "Is he a slave? He's a taxpayer who has created employment for thousands. Why should he sit hunched? He kept standing up frequently. Even if that happened, who recorded and released the video publicly?" questioned Selvaperunthagai.
He further added, "Can members of other parties meet a Finance Minister like this? This was planned. We strongly condemn this action." Selvaperunthagai reiterated that if Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman fails to offer an unconditional apology to the people of Coimbatore over the Annapoorna issue, the Congress movement will initiate a nationwide protest.