A viral video of a State Financial institution of India supervisor refusing to talk in Kannada to a buyer at a Bengaluru department has drawn criticism, together with from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and BJP MP Tejasvi Surya.
Within the video, shot at SBI’s Surya Nagar department in Chandapura, the financial institution supervisor is seen arguing with a buyer and strolling away after stating, “I’ll by no means converse Kannada.” When requested by the client to observe the Reserve Financial institution of India’s pointers and respect the native language, the supervisor dismissively responds, “That is India.”
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) protested on Wednesday demanding SBI sack the supervisor for “disrespecting” Kannada-speaking prospects and failing to supply companies within the native language.
The SBI supervisor later posted on-line an apology video, through which she was additionally seen laughing.
Siddaramaiah criticised the SBI supervisor. “The behaviour of the SBI Department Supervisor in Surya Nagara, Anekal Taluk, refusing to talk in Kannada & English and displaying disregard to residents, is strongly condemnable. We recognize SBI’s swift motion in transferring the official. The matter might now be handled as closed. Nevertheless, such incidents should not recur. All financial institution staff should deal with prospects with dignity and make each effort to talk within the native language. I urge the @FinMinIndia & Dept of Monetary Companies to mandate cultural and language sensitisation coaching for all financial institution employees throughout India. Respecting the native language is respecting the folks. #KannadaFirst.”
The behaviour of the SBI Department Supervisor in Surya Nagara, Anekal Taluk refusing to talk in Kannada & English and displaying disregard to residents, is strongly condemnable.
We recognize SBI’s swift motion in transferring the official. The matter might now be handled as closed.…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 21, 2025
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya additionally echoed the Congress chief. “This behaviour by @TheOfficialSBI Department Supervisor is just not acceptable. In case you are doing buyer interface work in Karnataka, particularly in a sector like banking, you will need to talk to prospects within the language they know. Being adamant like that is merely not proper. I’ve repeatedly raised this concern of mandatorily posting native employees or employees who know the native language in banking operations, each inside and out of doors Parliament. Only a few weeks in the past, at a Public Accounts Committee assembly, I had raised this concern to the DFS Secretary who assured me motion might be taken to observe a workplace notification that makes this requirement of native language data obligatory. Appears to be like like this nonetheless isn’t being enforced correctly. I urge the involved at @TheOfficialSBI to instantly implement the DFS coverage that mandates native language requirement. I’ve spoken to involved authorities to take motion towards this supervisor who has behaved on this method. Banks working in Karnataka ought to serve prospects in Kannada. Interval.”
This behaviour by @TheOfficialSBI Department Supervisor is just not acceptable.
In case you are doing buyer interface work in Karnataka, particularly in a sector like banking , you will need to talk to prospects within the language they know. Being adamant like that is merely not… pic.twitter.com/VPB8i5eTvB
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) May 21, 2025
For its half, SBI mentioned in a press release, “We’re deeply involved in regards to the latest incident at our Surya Nagar Department of AO South Bengaluru. The matter is presently underneath thorough analysis.”
The financial institution reiterated its zero-tolerance coverage for behaviour that impacts buyer sentiment.
This isn’t the primary time financial institution officers in Karnataka have insisted prospects converse in Hindi.
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In September 2024, when prospects requested for a challan printed in Kannada, a financial institution supervisor claimed Hindi was the nationwide language and mentioned, “Converse Hindi and get your service finished, or else go away.”
The challan was printed in English and Hindi.
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