The viral surge of “cream buns” across social media platforms isn’t just a random food trend—it’s tied to a deeper conversation about GST (Goods and Services Tax) in India, specifically sparked by recent events in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
The story behind the viral trend began when D. Srinivasan, the owner of Sree Annapoorna Hotel, brought up a GST-related anomaly during an interaction with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He pointed out that while cream and buns are taxed separately at 5%, a cream-stuffed bun attracts a higher GST rate of 18%. This discrepancy was raised as a plea for rationalizing the GST structure on food products.
However, the incident took an unexpected turn. Soon after this interaction, a video surfaced online showing Srinivasan apologizing to the Finance Minister, which stirred outrage on social media. Many people saw this as an unnecessary apology, while others criticized the political angle, as the video was released in the presence of Coimbatore MLA Vanathi Srinivasan and shared by the BJP.
This sparked a wave of memes and social media reactions, turning the “cream bun” into a symbol of the oddities in India’s GST system. Hashtags like #Coimbatore, #Annapoorna, #NirmalaSitharaman, and #StandwithAnnapoorna began trending, and images of buns, cream, and cream buns with references to the tax differences went viral on platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
People sarcastically pointed out the inconsistency in tax rates through memes, with posts mocking the higher GST on cream buns as opposed to separate taxation on buns and cream. Memes like “How to make GST bun” and “bun for Finance Minister” flooded social media, with users creatively expressing their displeasure with the current tax structure.
Despite the controversy, the hotel in Coimbatore joined the viral trend by releasing a marketing video promoting their cream buns, further adding fuel to the meme frenzy. What started as a serious query about GST policy quickly transformed into a social media spectacle, highlighting how quickly economic issues can capture public imagination when wrapped in humor.
The incident reflects a broader frustration with the GST system in India, especially when it comes to seemingly minor but significant discrepancies.
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