Bengaluru: A controversy erupted at the Chandapura branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) in South Bengaluru after a bank manager, during a heated exchange with a customer, refused to speak in Kannada, the official language of Karnataka. The incident, caught on camera, has gone viral on social media.
The clash began when a customer, speaking in Kannada, urged the manager to respond in the same language. The woman, however, insisted on continuing the conversation in Hindi. What followed was a verbal standoff between the two at the bank.
Have a look at the viral clip here:
In the video, the customer reminded the manager repeatedly that she was in Karnataka and should therefore speak Kannada. "This is Karnataka, madam," he said, to which the manager curtly responded, "So? This is India."
Despite the customer invoking RBI guidelines that recommend using the local language in customer interactions, the manager remained unmoved. "You have not given me employment," she said. As the conversation grew more intense, the manager added, “I will never speak Kannada,” prompting the customer to respond sarcastically, “Super, madam, super.”
The back-and-forth continued for several minutes, with both parties refusing to budge. “Hindi,” the manager kept repeating. “Kannada,” the customer insisted.
Kannada activist groups expressed anger and demanded action against the bank and its staff. Activists are planning to stage a protest as well, according to reports.
“This should be a wake-up call for institutions operating in Karnataka,” said the customer in the video, urging citizens to “teach this branch a lesson” for failing to follow linguistic norms.
