SBI Female Officer who refused to speak Kannada has been Transferred
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Bengaluru, Karnataka: A branch manager of the State Bank of India (SBI) in Surya Nagara, Anekal Taluk, has been transferred after a video showing her refusal to speak in Kannada went viral on social media. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has confirmed the transfer and said that the behaviour of the officer is disrespectful to the local language and people. The Bank Officer only said that she would not speak Kannada as she does not know the language. She also requested the person to contact senior authorities of SBI regarding this.
The video shows the bank official declining to speak Kannada, despite a customer’s repeated requests. When the customer reminded her, “This is Karnataka,” she responded by saying, “You have not given me employment” and “This is India.” The video sparked outrage online and renewed debate over the importance of using the local language in public services. But the big question still persists – Is the Female Officer at Fault? Is it possible for public servants working in All India Services to learn the language of different states?
Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “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.”
The Chief Minister, who has consistently supported pro-Kannada causes, emphasised that all bank employees in Karnataka should make an effort to communicate in Kannada with customers. He added that such incidents must not happen again and urged the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Financial Services to ensure all bank staff across India receive training in cultural and language sensitivity. “Respecting local language is respecting the people,” he said.
The incident has once again brought the language issue into focus in Karnataka. While pro-Kannada groups argue that migrants should learn the local language, others believe that no one should be forced to speak a specific language. The issue has previously led to public arguments and viral videos, deepening the divide.
Tejasvi Surya, BJP MP from Bengaluru South, also criticised the bank official’s actions. “This behaviour by the SBI Branch Manager is simply not acceptable. If you are working in Karnataka and dealing with customers, it’s important to communicate in the language they understand. Being stubborn like this is not right,” he said in a statement.
He further added that he had repeatedly raised the issue in Parliament and other official platforms, calling for the mandatory posting of local staff or staff who know the local language in customer-facing roles. Surya urged SBI to strictly enforce the Department of Financial Services policy that requires knowledge of the local language for such roles.
“I have spoken to concerned authorities to take action against this manager. Banks working in Karnataka should serve customers in Kannada. Period,” he concluded.
The incident has reignited calls for prioritising the Kannada language in all public dealings in Karnataka, especially in sectors like banking where local communication is essential.
Bank should post north indians to North India and South Indians to South India hindi belt wale hindi place pe this type of cases are embarassing for both customer and staff, staff b apni jagah thik h aur kannidio ko to kannad dusra state ka aadmi dekh k yaad aa hi jati h.