Language Row in Karnataka: SBI Officer Refuses to Speak Kannada, Sparks Outrage

A video showing a State Bank of India (SBI) official refusing to converse in Kannada with a customer at the Surya Nagar branch in Anekal Taluk, Karnataka, has gone viral, igniting a fresh language controversy in the state.

The incident unfolded during a customer interaction, where the woman bank officer repeatedly declined to use Kannada—the official language of Karnataka—even after being requested multiple times.

In the widely circulated video, the customer can be heard reminding the officer, “This is Karnataka, madam,” to which she responds firmly, “This is India.” When urged again to speak Kannada, the officer defiantly states, “I will not speak Kannada for you… I will speak Hindi,” before walking away, asserting, “I will never speak Kannada.”

The video has triggered a wave of criticism on social media, with users tagging the Union Finance Minister and the Reserve Bank of India. Many accused the officer of imposing Hindi, disrespecting local sentiments, and violating RBI guidelines that advocate customer-friendly communication in regional languages.

The incident has reignited the debate over linguistic respect, cultural identity, and language policies in public sector institutions across India.