"This is India, I will not speak Kannada", why did the argument between SBI manager and customer create a ruckus?

News Topical, Digital Desk : The refusal of a State Bank of India (SBI) branch manager in Karnataka's capital Bengaluru to speak in Kannada language has become the reason for controversy. A video of this incident has surfaced. Actually, a customer demands to speak to the SBI branch officer in Kannada, but the female officer opposed it. The female officer is saying that she will not speak Kannada. After this, this matter went viral on social media, which created a big uproar. 

After the controversy escalated, the woman officer released an apology video. The incident caught the attention of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who thanked SBI for taking prompt action in the matter.

What did the woman officer say?

In the video, when the customer says, "This is Karnataka, ma'am", the woman officer replies, "This is India." She then says, "I will not speak Kannada, my mother tongue is Hindi." After this incident, a person wrote on social media, "SBI branch manager and staff are insulting Kannada language. Imposing Hindi on the people of Karnataka. Misbehaving with customers." This person appealed to the central and state government to take immediate action.

Why did the woman officer apologize?

The video is going viral on Twitter and is being shared by many people. Reacting to one such post, the bank said, "We are deeply concerned by the recent incident at Surya Nagar branch, AO South Bengaluru. The matter is being thoroughly investigated. State Bank of India has a zero tolerance policy towards any behaviour that hurts the sentiments of its customers. We are steadfast in our commitment to ensure respectful and dignified behaviour towards all citizens."

Statement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the incident and said, "The SBI branch manager's refusal to speak Kannada and English and his disrespectful behaviour towards citizens is strongly condemned." He also thanked SBI for taking prompt action in the matter and transferring the officer.

SBI's response

SBI responded to the matter, in which the bank said, "The matter is being thoroughly investigated. State Bank of India has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that hurts the sentiments of its customers. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure respectful and dignified behaviour towards all citizens."

Why did the controversy over Kannada language increase?

After this entire controversy, a big debate broke out on social media about the Kannada language. Some people talked about the need to speak Kannada in Karnataka, while others argued that different languages ​​are spoken in India and it is not possible for everyone to learn all the languages. Along with this, the controversy also grew over the linguistic and cultural differences between North India and South India.

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