Bengaluru SBI manager’s refusal to speak Kannada sparks outrage: ‘I live in India’

A customer claimed that, under the rules and regulations of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the SBI employee should communicate in the local language.

A viral video showing an SBI bank official in Karnataka and a customer has added fuel to the already-existing language row. In the video, the customer insists that the official should speak in Kannada, and she retorts that she won’t speak the local language. Following the backlash, the woman issued an apology video. The matter attracted the attention of Karnataka CM who thanked SBI for taking swift action.

Snippet from a video by a customer at an SBI branch in Karnataka. (Screengrab (X))

“I WILL NOT SPEAK KANNADA IN KARNATAKA, NEVER, SPEAK IN HINDI. @TheOfficialSBI Branch manager SBI, surya nagara, anekal taluk KARNATAKA. Your Branch manager and staff disrespect the Kannada language, imposing Hindi on people of Karnataka, misbehaving with customers, on duty times, not giving service, violated or not following. @RBI rules and guidelines. I urge take action immediately. @nsitharaman,” wrote an X user while posting a video of the row between the official and the customer.

In the video, the man recording the video says, “This is Karnataka, ma’am.” The woman replies, “This is India.” She continues, “I will not speak Kannada first,” adding that her mother tongue is Hindi.

HT.com has reached out to SBI for an official remark on the matter. The report will be updated when the bank responds.

What did she say in her apology?

In another video, the woman is seen speaking in Kannada with the help of her colleagues. She says, “If I have hurt anyone, I sincerely apologise. I will try to cooperate and conduct my business in Kannada going forward.”

What did the CM write?

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah wrote, “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.” He further thanked SBI for taking “swift action in transferring the official”.

How did SBI respond?

The video is going viral on X and being shared by many. Responding to one such post, the bank replied, “We are deeply concerned about the recent incident at our Surya Nagar Branch of AO South Bengaluru. The matter is currently under thorough evaluation. State Bank of India maintains a policy of zero tolerance towards any behaviour that adversely affects the sentiments of our customers. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring respectful and dignified conduct towards all citizens.”

What prompted the Kannada language row?

The language row erupted with a post that warned "outsiders in Bengaluru" to learn the language. Following this, people flooded social media with numerous opinionated reactions.

While some spoke in favour of speaking Kannada in Karnataka, others argued it’s not possible for people to learn various languages spoken in different corners of India. The row also sparked a war of words about North India and South India on social media.