‘Why is she even here?’: Canara Bank official faces backlash for not understanding Kannada. Watch

The footage, shot in Chikkamagaluru, shows a Kannada-speaking woman confronting a bank official for failing to assist her in Kannada.

A video shot inside a Canara Bank branch in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, has gone viral, reigniting debates over language use in public services.

In the video, the woman, who claims she doesn’t know English, questions a Malayalam-speaking staff member at the counter.(X/@PrishaSargam)

The footage shows a Kannada-speaking woman confronting a bank official over their inability to assist her in the local language.

In the video, the woman, who claims she doesn’t know English, questions a Malayalam-speaking staff member’s presence at the counter, saying, “Why is she here if she can’t understand Kannada?” The manager is seen speaking to another official in Malayalam while the customer demands answers about money deducted from her account without prior notice.

Watch video here:

“She wasn’t even cordial with me,” the woman says in the video. “When I tried asking, she started making weird faces.” The bank official, seen intervening in the situation, responds, “You were not cordial either".

How did X users react?

The video has sparked divided reactions online. While some users expressed solidarity with the customer, others accused her of escalating a non-issue for social media attention. “What do you want, information or a viral video?” one comment read. Another added, “Someone is already assisting her in Kannada. What's the problem then?”

However, a large section of users rallied behind the woman’s concern, questioning the bank’s hiring practices.

A user wrote, “As customers, we expect to be served respectfully and in a language we’re comfortable with. After all, it’s our money that keeps the bank running. Public sector banks like Canara Bank were nationalised to serve all citizens, not just a few”

“Why aren’t locals being given job opportunities?” and “If you’re operating in Karnataka, you must be able to serve in Kannada” were common refrains.

In response to the backlash, Canara Bank’s official handle on X (formerly Twitter) issued a statement affirming its commitment to Kannada and its customers.

“Kannada is our foundation, your support is our strength,” the statement read. “For Canara Bank, Karnataka is not just a state, it is our birthplace. Kannada is not merely a language to us, it is a feeling, a pride. We are committed to providing services in the local language at every branch in the state.” The bank added that in today’s multilingual India, staff may come from different states, but “our heart always resonates with our customers.”

This comes after a viral video from SBI’s Surya Nagar (Anekal Taluk) branch in Bengaluru showed a heated exchange in which a branch manager refused to speak Kannada with a local customer. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the behaviour as “strongly condemnable” and praised the bank’s swift action. 

The controversy reignited a broader debate over language rights, with citizens and leaders, including MP Tejasvi Surya and former Infosys director Mohandas Pai, urging that public-facing institutions must serve customers in Kannada or risk alienating the local population