Mohandas Pai Slams SBI Manager
A storm has erupted online after a State Bank of India (SBI) branch manager in Karnataka refused to speak Kannada with local customers, prompting a fiery response from former Infosys director TV Mohandas Pai.
The incident took place at SBI’s Surya Nagar branch in Anekal Taluk, where a video went viral showing the manager bluntly declaring, “I will never speak Kannada… This is India,” while insisting on communicating in Hindi. The clip sparked outrage across the state, triggering protests from Kannada-speaking citizens and pro-Kannada activists.
Mohandas Pai Slams SBI Manager
Mohandas Pai, known for his candid takes, didn’t hold back. In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), he called the manager’s actions “very, very wrong,” stating, “This is not the British Raj again. Every business must serve local customers in a language they understand.”
Mohandas Pai Slams SBI Manager
Pai argued that no one was demanding fluency, just basic conversational Kannada around 200 words as a sign of respect. “They are customers, not captives. Arrogance like this is unacceptable,” he wrote.
His post was a response to another user, Tushar Gupta, who defended the bank official, claiming, “This is the State Bank of India, not the State Bank of Karnataka.” Gupta further argued against mandating local language proficiency for jobs, stating, “We are Indians first… The Constitution has no such condition.”
Mohandas Pai Slams SBI Manager
The debate quickly gained momentum online, dividing opinions. While some supported Gupta’s view on national integration, many echoed Pai’s stance that service professionals should adapt to local linguistic contexts.
Mohandas Pai Slams SBI Manager
Even Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah weighed in, calling the manager’s behaviour “strongly condemnable” and stressing the importance of respecting local languages in public services. Amid the public uproar, the SBI manager was swiftly transferred and issued an on-camera apology. The bank also released a statement reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy toward conduct that harms customer sentiment.
Mohandas Pai Slams SBI Manager
The incident has reignited the long-running conversation about language, identity, and the balance between national unity and regional respect with Mohandas Pai’s 200-word challenge becoming the latest flashpoint in the debate.
