SBI Manager Transferred: Refused to Speak Kannada at Bengaluru’s Chandapura Branch
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday expressed strong disapproval of a State Bank of India (SBI) branch manager in Chandapura, Anekal taluk, for refusing to communicate in Kannada despite repeated customer requests.
The incident, which took place at the Suryanagar branch, gained public attention after a video circulated online showing the manager declining to speak in Kannada and insisting that she only knew Hindi.
The customer, who demanded that the manager speak in the state’s official language, was allegedly told: “Where is it written that I should speak in Kannada? Show me the rules. I will never speak in Kannada. You talk to my SBI chairman.”
In response, Siddaramaiah took to social media, stating: “The SBI branch manager refusing to speak in Kannada and 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.”
“All bank employees must treat customers with dignity and make every effort to speak in the local language. I urge the Union finance ministry and department of financial services to mandate cultural and language sensitisation training for all bank staff across India. Respecting the local language is respecting the people,” said Siddaramaiah.
Following the incident, several Kannada organisations staged protests demanding strict action against the manager. Police confirmed the incident occurred at the Chandapura branch but said no formal complaint was registered.
Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya also criticised the manager’s conduct. “This behaviour by the SBI branch manager is simply unacceptable. If you are doing customer-interface work in Karnataka, especially in a sector like banking, it is important to communicate with customers in the language they know,” Surya posted on X.
The incident has sparked a broader discussion on the importance of multilingual communication in public services, with calls for institutions to ensure that employees are equipped to interact with customers in the languages they speak.