After SBI manager refuses to speak Kannada, CM announces ‘transfer’, says 'respect local language'
Kannada row: Now, another video has emerged online showing a manager refusing to speak in Kannada, triggering a fresh language row. The incident is reported to be from Chandapura, a suburb in the south of Bengaluru.
Karnataka has long been celebrated as a cultural and linguistic melting pot. However, this diversity has also given rise to recurring debates over language—particularly prominent in recent times, with tensions between Kannada and Hindi speakers.
From the government’s mandate requiring Kannada signboards to clashes between auto drivers and non-Kannada-speaking passengers, language has become a flashpoint across the city. The discourse often spills into online spaces, where it frequently takes on a divisive and hostile tone.
Now, another video has emerged online showing a SBI bank manager refusing to speak in Kannada, triggering a fresh language row. The incident is reported to be from Chandapura, a suburb in the south of Bengaluru.
Here’s how the heated exchange unfolded between a customer and a bank official in Chandapura, Karnataka:
Customer: “Wait a second, this is Karnataka.”
Bank Manager: “You have not given me employment.”
Customer: “This is Karnataka, madam.”
Bank Manager: “So? This is India.”
Customer: “Kannada first, madam.”
Bank Manager: “I will not speak Kannada for you.”
Undeterred, the customer continued pressing the official to speak in Kannada.
Customer: “So you will never speak in Kannada?"
Bank Manager: “No. I will speak Hindi.”
What followed was a back-and-forth standoff:
Bank Manager: Hindi
Customer: Kannada
Bank Manager: Hindi
Customer: Kannada
Neither side relented, and the conversation soon reached a stalemate.
The customer then reminded the official: “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.”
But the manager stood her ground: “I will never speak Kannada,” she declared.
“Super, madam, super,” the customer responded sarcastically.
The man, who filmed the entire interaction, urged others to act:
“Viewers, this is the SBI branch in Chandapura, you should all teach a lesson to this branch, we should all be united.”
In response to the incident, pro-Kannada activist groups have announced a protest. They plan to march to the SBI main branch tomorrow and submit a memorandum demanding action.
Karnataka CM Condemns SBI Manager’s Language Disrespect
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly condemned the actions of a State Bank of India (SBI) branch manager in Surya Nagara, Anekal Taluk, for allegedly refusing to communicate with citizens in Kannada or even English. The CM took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his disapproval, calling the behaviour “strongly condemnable” and a show of “disregard to citizens.”
“The behaviour of the SBI Branch Manager in Surya Nagara, Anekal Taluk refusing to speak in Kannada & English and showing disregard to citizens, is strongly condemnable. We appreciate SBI’s swift action in transferring the official. The matter may now be treated as closed...I urge the Ministry of Finance & Dept of Financial Services to mandate cultural and language sensitisation training for all bank staff across India. Respecting local language is respecting the people,” Siddaramaiah tweeted.