"My mother tongue is Hindi": Bengaluru's SBI manager sparks outrage for refusing to speak Kannada

As the debate over the regional languages continues to heat up, a viral video has reignited tensions. A clip, showing a heated exchange between a customer and the manager of the SBI Surya Nagar branch in Anekal Taluk has sparked fresh controversy, after the manager reportedly refused to speak in Kannada and insisted on using Hindi, saying, ''This is India.''

In the clip, the customer is heard saying, ''This is Karnaaka, ma'am, to which the branch manager responded by saying 'This is India. I will not speak Kannada first. My mother tongue is Hindi.'' 

This manager's remark quickly went viral, fuelling the long-standing Hindi vs Kannada debate. 

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May 21, 2025

Amid growing backlash, the manager issued a video apology. However, the public outrage prompted swift administrative action. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the manager's remarks and confirmed that the SBI had taken immediate action by transferring her. 

Despite the apology and transfer, public anger did not subside. Many people viewed the manager's comments as a direct insult to their regional language. While the manager was heavily criticised for her stance, some people came forward in her support.

''SBI follows Article 343, which recognises only Hindi and English as official languages. Enforcing local language use is not valid. Blaming employees is unfair. The Centre should either revise the language policy or offer basic language training before such postings. Knowing the local language is ideal, but not mandatory,'' a user wrote.

''Kannada should be mandatory in all Software Companies too,'' another user wrote.

''Unacceptable behaviour by SBI manager to refuse to communicate in Kannada in Karnataka in a rude manner,'' another user wrote.

''The person next to her who appears to be an SBI employee and speaking in Kannada. The lady here could have simply acknowledged that she doesn’t know Kannada and redirected the customer’s query to this person who speaks Kannada. Lady’s arrogance is clearly at display here,'' anothet said.

''Hire a translator, solve the problem. Create Jobs, empower the free market. I don't see why everyone has to speak every language., '' anothet commented.

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