A recent incident at an SBI branch in Bengaluru has drawn criticism after a staff member was caught on video refusing to converse in Kannada with a customer. The woman instead insisted on speaking only in Hindi, stating, “This is India,” which many perceived as dismissive of Karnataka’s linguistic identity.
The footage triggered immediate backlash on social media and drew a sharp response from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who labeled the act as “highly inappropriate” and emphasized the importance of respecting local languages in official interactions.
In response to the controversy, SBI issued an apology and confirmed that the employee involved has been transferred. The bank assured the public that steps will be taken to avoid such instances in the future, including reinforcing linguistic sensitivity among its staff.
This episode has once again highlighted ongoing tensions over language usage in public institutions and the balance between national language unity and regional linguistic rights.
