Chennai:�Describing as ‘shameful’ the behavior of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Coimbatore in making the owner of the popular restaurant chain, Annapoorna, to apologise to her the day after he pointed out certain absurdities in the manner in which GST was charged on food items, Chief Minister M K Stalin warned that people were watching it all.�
Replying to questions posed by media persons at the airport, on his arrival from the US after a 17-day official tour, as to how he viewed the incident in Coimbatore Stalin said the Minister’s conduct was shameful since the owner of Annapoorna restaurants, Srinivasan, had only raised a legitimate grouse of a businessman who paid GST.
Asked about the ‘change’ that he had promised when he left for the US on August 27, he said the ‘change’ that they expected would come but reminded the media persons that the DMK was now celebrating its 75th anniversary.
DMK was a party that would say only what it could do and do what it had said, he added. The ‘change’ pertained to a possible reshuffle in the Ministry that the Chief Minister assured to bring in on his return from the US
To another question on VCK general secretary Thol Thirumavalavan inviting the AIADMK and founder of the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam, Vijay, to the anti-liquor conference that it had called for at Kallakurichi on October 2, Stalin said that the VCK chief himself had clarified on it and said that it was not a political event but one with a social cause aimed at eradicating alcohol.
The conference should not be confused as a political meeting, he said, adding that he had nothing to say on it as Thirumavalvan had already made his position quite clear on it.