Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday slammed the manager of a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Bengaluru for not speaking in Kannada even after customers’ continued requests. He also appreciated the bank for transferring the official.
He added that all bank officials must treat customers with dignity and make efforts to speak in a local language. The Chief Minister further urged the Finance Ministry to mandate language sensitisation training for all bank staff across the country.
Disregard to citizens: Siddaramaiah
Taking to X, he wrote, “The behaviour of the SBI Branch Manager in Surya Nagara, Anekal Taluk, 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.
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.…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 21, 2025
He added, “However, such incidents must not recur. All bank employees must treat customers with dignity and make every effort to speak in the local language. I urge the @FinMinIndia & Dept of Financial Services to mandate cultural and language sensitisation training for all bank staff across India. Respecting local language is respecting the people.”
‘Many bank customers face extreme difficulty’
BJP leader Yejasvi Surya too took the matter on X and wrote, “Many bank customers, especially in rural Karnataka, face extreme difficulty when banking staff – those that have a public interface – don’t communicate in local language. This is an issue faced by millions of customers in many states.”
Many bank customers, especially in rural Karnataka, face extreme difficulty when banking staff – those that have a public interface – don’t communicate in local language. This is an issue faced by millions of customers in many states.
After we raised this issue at multiple… https://t.co/msr6azNuFf pic.twitter.com/juFQyNq8uj
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) May 21, 2025
He further said, “After we raised this issue at multiple forums, including Parliament, GOI Dept of Financial Services reviewed their transfer policy. According to this policy, banks are directed to accommodate officers up to Scale-III in their respective linguistic region to ensure seamless customer service.”
Earlier, a social media user @CheKrishnaCk shared a video in which the SBI bank manager can be seen engaging in a verbal spat with a customer. The manager was heard saying that she would never speak Kannada and would only speak in Hindi. She also asked a local person to address his issues with the SBI chairman. The customer, however, continued to insist that SBI employees must speak in the regional language.
The video was shared with the caption, “Bengaluru Chandapura SBI Branch Manager says, ‘she will never speak Kannada’ as this is India and she speaks Hindi. RBI has given clear guidelines saying staff should provide service in the local language.”
