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A viral video recently has emerged online that shows a SBI bank manager being cornered by locals at the branch after she refused to speak in Kannada. According to the reports, the incident took place at a SBI branch in Chandapura, a suburb in the south of Bengaluru.
SBI Bank Manager Vs Localite
In the video, the localite, a bank customer, demands the official to speak in Kannada. However, she refuses to speak regional language following which the argument between the duo intensified.
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Here's the Conversation Between the Duo:
Customer: "Wait a second, this is Karnataka."
Bank Official: "You have not given me employment."
Employee: "This is Karnataka madam."
Bank Employee: "So? This is India."
Customer: "Kannada first, madam."
Bank Official: "I will not speak Kannada for you."
While the customer continued pressing the official to speak in Kannada, the bank manager was steadfast in her opinion.
A few moments later, the customer said, "Madam, this is Karnataka, you should speak Kannada. It's not about the chairman, there is an RBI rule that in that particular state you must speak the respective language."
Still, the manager stood her ground and said that she would never speak Kannada.
The person, who filmed the entire incident urged others to act.
He said, "Viewers, this is the SBI branch in Chandapura, you should all teach a lesson to this branch, we should all be united."
Impact of Refusing to Speak Kannada
Soon after the video went viral on social media, it sparked outrage. After facing widespread backlash, the official later issued an apology through a video message.
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Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah strongly condemned the actions of the SBI bank manager in Surya Nagara, Anekal Taluk, for allegedly refusing to communicate with citizens in Kannada or even English. In his social media post, he announced that the manager had been transferred to another branch. He also urged the Ministry of Finance & Dept of Financial Services to mandate cultural and language sensitisation training for all bank staff across India.
